Interleukin 6

IL6
Available structures
PDBOrtholog search: PDBe RCSB
Identifiers
AliasesIL6, BSF2, HGF, HSF, IFNB2, IL-6, BSF-2, CDF, IFN-beta-2, interleukin 6
External IDsOMIM: 147620; MGI: 96559; HomoloGene: 502; GeneCards: IL6; OMA:IL6 - orthologs
Orthologs
SpeciesHumanMouse
Entrez
Ensembl
UniProt
RefSeq (mRNA)

NM_000600
NM_001318095
NM_001371096

NM_031168
NM_001314054

RefSeq (protein)

NP_000591
NP_001305024
NP_001358025

NP_001300983
NP_112445

Location (UCSC)Chr 7: 22.73 – 22.73 MbChr 5: 30.22 – 30.22 Mb
PubMed search[3][4]
Wikidata
View/Edit HumanView/Edit Mouse

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is an interleukin that acts as both a pro-inflammatory cytokine and an anti-inflammatory myokine. In humans, it is encoded by the IL6 gene.[5]

In addition, osteoblasts secrete IL-6 to stimulate osteoclast formation. Smooth muscle cells in the tunica media of many blood vessels also produce IL-6 as a pro-inflammatory cytokine. IL-6's role as an anti-inflammatory myokine is mediated through its inhibitory effects on TNF-alpha and IL-1 and its activation of IL-1ra and IL-10.

There is some early evidence that IL-6 can be used as an inflammatory marker for severe COVID-19 infection with poor prognosis, in the context of the wider coronavirus pandemic.[6]

  1. ^ a b c GRCh38: Ensembl release 89: ENSG00000136244Ensembl, May 2017
  2. ^ a b c GRCm38: Ensembl release 89: ENSMUSG00000025746Ensembl, May 2017
  3. ^ "Human PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
  4. ^ "Mouse PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
  5. ^ Ferguson-Smith AC, Chen YF, Newman MS, May LT, Sehgal PB, Ruddle FH (April 1988). "Regional localization of the interferon-beta 2/B-cell stimulatory factor 2/hepatocyte stimulating factor gene to human chromosome 7p15-p21". Genomics. 2 (3): 203–208. doi:10.1016/0888-7543(88)90003-1. PMID 3294161.
  6. ^ "Raised troponin and interleukin-6 levels are associated with a poor prognosis in COVID-19". Cardiac Rhythm News. 2 April 2020.