Expand All | Contract All


Menu Bottom Graphic

INTERLEUKIN 6 (IL-6)
GENE EXPRESSION

OVERVIEW EXPLANATION

IL-6 is a Cytokine (signalling protein) of particular importance in the inflammatory-type immune response to infection and injury. Its activation is critical for an effective inflammatory reaction to burns and other tissue damage, and it is also responsible for a range of other functions. Elevated quantities of IL-6, however, may indicate Auto-immune disease, cancer development, or the metastatic spread of an existing tumour. Long-term increases can have particularly severe consequences, including damage to the blood-brain barrier, damage to bone Metabolism, and the development of insulin resistance. Conversely, long-term decreases in IL-6 quantities can signify a diminished immune defence capacity.

DETAILED EXPLANATION

IL-6 is a Cytokine, which is produced by a variety of cells, including the macrophages and the Th2 cells. Normal cells do not produce this Cytokine constitutively, but its expression is induced by a variety of Cytokines, bacterial or viral infections. IL-6 has numerous properties and acts on a wide range of tissues exerting growth-induction, growth-inhibition or differentiation, depending on the nature of the target cells. IL-6 is involved in other important processes such as the proliferation of the T cells, the induction of IL-2 expression and B cell differentiation. A changed expression of IL-6 is associated with infections, auto-immunity, proliferation and neoplastic diseases as well as inflammatory responses to infections or trauma. It provides assistance in the spreading of cancerous cells in the late stage of tumour development. This assay is able to provide information relating to both viral and bacterial infections, trauma and cancer development.

High quantities are frequently associated with infections and indicate a metastatic risk if there is a tumour. Any long-term increased IL-6 quantities will lead to damage of the blood-brain barrier, to impairment of the bone Metabolism and also to the development of insulin resistance. Any long-term low quantities of IL-6 are associated with a decreased defensive ability of the Immune System.

APPLICATION

This assay will provide extremely valuable and accurate information relating to the following pathological conditions :-

- Cancer, Inflammation, Diabetes and neuro-degenerative diseases.
© Copyright Neuro-Lab 2011
All Rights Reserved

Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional Myo International Valid CSS!