Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a proinflammatory cytokine which is produced by both lymphoid and nonlymphoid cells.1) The receptor for IL-6 is composed of two polypeptide chains called a-subunit and b-subunit.1,2) The a-subunit is the ligand-binding chain with a molecular weight of approximately 80 kDa, and is also known as gp80.2,3) The b-subunit is known as gp130 and is the signal-transducing chain of the receptor complex.2,4) The gp130 is shared by a family of cytokines including oncostatin M (OSM), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), IL-11, cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF).
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.