Interleukin-6
A signalling protein of the immune system, raised in inflammation.
What it is
Interleukin-6 is a messenger that triggers the liver's inflammatory response, including CRP production. It rises fast and falls fast, and is mostly a research and specialist marker.
Why it matters
IL-6 is rarely tested routinely; where measured, it is interpreted by specialists alongside standard inflammatory markers.
This guide is educational only and cannot diagnose you. Discuss results, especially anything outside your laboratory’s reference interval, or that does not match how you feel, with a GP or other appropriately qualified clinician.
This guide is educational only and cannot diagnose you. Discuss results, especially anything outside your laboratory’s reference interval, or that does not match how you feel, with a GP or other appropriately qualified clinician.
How it affects the body
IL-6 coordinates immune responses and fever, and signals the liver to make acute-phase proteins.
For athletes
Exercise itself releases IL-6 from working muscle - a post-training sample can look inflamed without illness.
Related tests
No published panels currently list this marker.