Role of interleukin-6 in macrophage function

Abstract

Interleukin-6 is a multifunctional cytokine important for host defense. Macrophages are potent producers of interleukin-6. Conversely, interleukin-6 acts on monocytes to induce their differentiation to macrophages. This paper reviews the in vivo roles of interleukin-6 and nuclear factor for interleukin-6 expression that have been revealed by gene targeting as well as recent progress in understanding the interleukin-6 gene regulation and signaling pathway in macrophages.