Interleukin-1 beta and Interleukin-6 (IL-1B and IL-6)

Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) are pivotal pro-inflammatory cytokines that mediate the systemic inflammatory response and are central to the pathogenesis of numerous autoinflammatory and autoimmune disorders (UniProt P01584, P05231). IL-1β is a potent pyrogen produced primarily by activated macrophages; its maturation is regulated by the NLRP3 inflammasome and caspase-1, and it serves as a primary driver for the induction of other inflammatory mediators, including IL-6 (PubMed: 28192398). IL-6 is a pleiotropic cytokine that signals through a hexameric complex involving the IL-6 receptor and gp130, activating the JAK/STAT3 pathway to induce the acute-phase response and promote lymphocyte differentiation (PubMed: 30549044). The expression of these cytokines is a vital biomarker for assessing the severity of inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and cytokine release syndrome (StatPearls: Cytokine Release Syndrome). Therapeutic agents targeting these pathways include monoclonal antibodies and receptor antagonists, which have revolutionized the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases but carry risks of immunosuppression and serious infections (NIH: Drug Record).

Other names

IL-1 betaIL-6Interleukin-1BInterleukin-6Pro-inflammatory cytokinesCatabolinB-cell stimulatory factor 2IL-1β and IL-6 expression

Inhibition of pro-inflammatory signaling by neutralizing circulating cytokines or blocking their respective receptors (IL-1R or IL-6R), thereby preventing the activation of downstream pathways such as NF-κB and JAK/STAT (PubMed: 25907457, 30549044).