The Inflammatory Factor Interleukin-6

Asst. Prof. Dr. Rehab Jasem Mohammed &
Zahraa Emad Hussien
Department of chemistry, College of Education for Pure Sciences, University of Karbala, Iraq.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multidirectional cytokine with diverse biological functions that was originally identified as an inducible factor for B-cell, which has a role in the maturation of antibody-producing cells. Interleukin-6 is closely related to other cytokines with diverse activities. It was found to affect blood vessels, neurons and T cells (1). In the 1980’s interlukin-6 was discovered by Weissenbach and it is play a major role in sharp inflammation (2). Interleukin-6 is the sixth interleukin to be discovered, hence its name (3). It is a mini polypeptide consisting of four α-helices containing (184) amino acid residues and has a molecular weight between 19 and 28 kDa glycosylation sites and two disulfide bonds usually in monomer form (4). High levels of IL-6 are indicative of many inflammatory diseases, including arthritis in children, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and systemic lupus erythematosus (5). It also plays an important role in autoimmune cell differentiation metabolism and disease treatment etc.(6). Nearly t al cells of immune system cells and stromal cells (mast cells, T-lymphocytes, dendritic, macrophages, monocytes cells, B-lymphocytes, non-lymphocytic cells such as keratinocytes, fibroblasts, glomerular mesangial cells, endothelial cells, and tumour cells) can produce IL-6 (7). IL-6 is also the strongest indicator of cardiovascular conditions and cardiovascular. It refers to all causes of mortality, heart failure, myocardial infarction and mortality resulting from cancer patients with healthy coronary heart disease. It also may play a role as a marker for a pathophysiological pathway (8).

References
1- Kishimoto, T., Akira, S., Narazaki, M., &Taga, T. (1995). Interleukin-6 family of cytokines and gp130.‏
2. Moore, J. B., & June, C. H. (2020). Cytokine release syndrome in severe COVID-19. Science, 368(6490), 473-474.‏
3-Ohsugi, Y. (2020). The immunobiology of humanized Anti-IL6 receptor antibody: From basic research to breakthrough medicine. Journal of Translational Autoimmunity, 3, 100030.‏
4.Scheller, J., Garbers, C., & Rose-John, S. (2014, February). Interleukin-6: from basic biology to selective blockade of pro-inflammatory activities. In Seminars in immunology (Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 2-12). Academic Press.‏
5. Gabay, C. (2006). Interleukin-6 and chronic inflammation. Arthritis research & therapy, 8(2), 1-6.‏
6.Hunter, C. A., & Jones, S. A. (2015). IL-6 as a keystone cytokine in health and disease. Nature immunology, 16(5), 448-457.‏
7. Jones, S. A., & Jenkins, B. J. (2018). Recent insights into targeting the IL-6 cytokine family in inflammatory diseases and ===cancer. Nature reviews immunology, 18(12), 773-789.‏
8. Held, C., White, H. D., Stewart, R. A., Budaj, A., Cannon, C. P., Hochman, J. S., … & STABILITY Investigators. (2017). Inflammatory biomarkers interleukin‐6 and C‐reactive protein and outcomes in stable coronary heart disease: experiences from the STABILITY (stabilization of atherosclerotic plaque by initiation of darapladib therapy) trial. Journal of the American Heart Association, 6(10), e005077.‏