Interleukin 6 (IL6) Test

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a protein produced by various cells. It helps regulate immune responses, which makes the IL-6 test potentially useful as a marker of immune system activation. IL-6 can be elevated with inflammation, infection, autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and some cancers. The test measures the amount of IL-6 in the blood. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that has a wide range of immunological actions. This cytokine is known for its high ability to initiate the acute phase response in the host defence mechanism. These cytokines help direct the body's immune response to infection, trauma, injury, etc. They're part of the "inflammatory cascade," which entails coordinated and sequential activation. The development of several diseases, including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer, has been linked to the overexpression of this cytokine. IL-6 is an immune protein and a pyrogen. Our body produces IL-6 in response to an inflammatory condition. In both acute and chronic inflammatory conditions, interleukins are produced whether it is an infectious, non-infectious or autoimmune disease. Inflammatory situations such as trauma, burns, infection and malignancies all trigger the production of IL 6. Interleukin-6 binds to the IL-6 receptor alpha, causing transcription of inflammatory cellular products to begin. This cytokine has been linked to several chronic inflammatory diseases such as type 2 diabetes, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. IL-6 is also essential for the generation of blood cells, including white, red and platelets. IL-6 appears to have a significant role in the progression of Kaposi's sarcoma and multiple myeloma. The IL-6 test is useful as a marker of immune system activation because it helps maintain immune responses. Inflammatory disorders, infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular illnesses and some carcinomas can all cause an increase in IL-6. IL6 is an important early marker to detect cytokine storm in Covid 19 infected individuals(a marker to detect severity, hence, to decide if a patient needs hospital admission). The Interleukin test determines how much IL-6 is present in the blood sample.