Assaying Interleukin-6 in Breast Cancer
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Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a 21-28 kDa glycoprotein produced by T and B cells, monocytes, macrophages, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and tumor cells (1 ). Elevated IL-6 has been identified in the serum of breast cancer patients (2 ). IL-6 has been implicated in breast cancer metastasis (3 ), and IL-6 was produced by a breast cell line of metastatic origin but not by a cell line derived from a primary lesion (4 ). Furthermore, IL-6 is elevated in the serum of breast cancer patients with visceral metastases (5 ), and a reduction in serum IL-6 is associated with clinical response to treatment in advanced breast cancer patients (6 ).
