I-Interleukin-6 yi-polypeptide equlathe imixokelelwane emibini ye-glycoprotein, enobunzima be-molecular obuyi-130kd. Njengelungu elibalulekileyo lenethiwekhi ye-cytokine, i-interleukin-6 (IL-6) idlala indima ephambili kwimpendulo yokuvuvukala okukhawulezileyo, kwaye inokubangela impendulo yesigaba esikhawulezileyo sesibindi, kwaye ikhuthaze ukuveliswa kweprotheyini ye-C-reactive (CRP) kunye ne-fibrinogen. Izifo ezininzi ezisulelayo zinokukhokelela ekunyukeni kwinqanaba le-IL-6 kwi-serum, kwaye inqanaba le-IL-6 linxulunyaniswa ngokusondeleyo neziphumo zesigulana. Njenge-cytokine ye-pleiotropic enemisebenzi emininzi, i-IL-6 ikhutshwa yi-T cell, i-B cell, i-mononuclear phagocyte, kunye ne-endothelial cell, kwaye yinxalenye ebalulekileyo yenethiwekhi yokuvuselela ukuvuvukala. Xa kuvela impendulo yokuvuvukala, i-IL-6 ivelisa kuqala, ekhuthaza ukuveliswa kwe-CRP kunye ne-procalcitonin (PCT) xa ikhiqizwa. Iya kuveliswa ngokukhawuleza kwimeko yosulelo, ukwenzakala kwangaphakathi nangaphandle, utyando, impendulo yoxinzelelo, ukufa kwengqondo, i-tumorigenesis, kunye nenkqubo yokusabela yokuvuvukala okukhawulezileyo kwezinye iimeko. I-IL-6 ibandakanyeka ekwandeni nasekuphuhlisweni kwezifo ezininzi, inqanaba layo egazini linxulunyaniswa ngokusondeleyo nokudumba, usulelo lwentsholongwane kunye nesifo sokuzikhusela komzimba, kwaye utshintsho lwayo lwenzeka ngaphambi kwe-CRP. Ngokweziphumo zophando, inqanaba le-IL-6 liyanda ngokukhawuleza xa usulelo lwebhaktheriya lusanda emva kweeyure ezi-2, ngelixa i-CRP iyanda ngokukhawuleza emva kweeyure ezi-6. Ukukhutshwa okungaqhelekanga okanye ukubonakaliswa kwezakhi zofuzo ze-IL-6 kunokukhokelela ekwandeni kwezifo, inani elikhulu le-IL-6 linokukhutshwa egazini kwimeko yesifo, kwaye ukufunyanwa kwe-IL-6 kubaluleke kakhulu ekuxilongweni kwesifo kunye nokugweba kwangaphambili.