Molecule4 diseases
IL-6
Pleiotropic cytokine driving acute-phase response and joint destruction
- Expression change
- Elevated
- Evidence level
- established
- Targeted by
- Tocilizumab
Expression across diseases
| Disease | Role | Expression | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult-Onset Still's Disease | Pleiotropic cytokine driving acute-phase response and joint destruction | Elevated | established |
| Cryopyrin-Associated Periodic Syndromes | Downstream cytokine | elevated | established |
| Schnitzler Syndrome | B-cell growth factor | Elevated | strong |
| TNF Receptor-Associated Periodic Syndrome | Pro-inflammatory cytokine — acute phase driver | Elevated | moderate |
Role in pathogenesis
IL-6 serum levels are highly increased in both systemic and chronic articular AOSD phenotypes. IL-6 drives hepatic production of ferritin, CRP, and other acute-phase reactants, contributes to fever, and promotes joint destruction via osteoclast activation. IL-6 blockade with tocilizumab is particularly effective for the chronic articular phenotype and enables glucocorticoid sparing.
Targeting drugs (1)
| Drug | Mechanism | Response rate | Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tocilizumab | Anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody | ~61% (ACR50) | 2nd |
Sources (3)
DetailsFeist E et al. (2018) Mechanisms, biomarkers and targets for adult-onset Still's diseasePubMed ↗