Interleukin-6 in inflammatory and malignant diseases of the pancreas

Semin Immunol. 2014 Feb;26(1):80-7. doi: 10.1016/j.smim.2014.01.002. Epub 2014 Feb 23.

Abstract

Interleukin-6 is an important pro-inflammatory cytokine strongly linked to the most burdened exocrine pancreatic diseases including acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. However, its role in all these diseases is versatile and not completely defined. Several studies provided accumulating evidence that IL-6 is mainly involved in the JAK/STAT pathway activation promoting acute and chronic pancreatitis disease aggravation as well as pancreatic cancer initiation and progression. This review will focus on recent studies illustrating the role of IL-6 in acute and chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic oncogenesis. Further, a short overview of indicated disease pathologies will be given and the impact of IL-6 in JAK/STAT pathway, persistent STAT3 activation and cancer immunotherapy will be discussed.

Keywords: Acute pancreatitis; Chronic pancreatitis; IL-6 signaling; IL-6 trans-signaling; Pancreatic cancer; STAT3.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Disease Progression
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-6 / genetics
  • Interleukin-6 / metabolism*
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / genetics
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Pancreatitis / drug therapy
  • Pancreatitis / epidemiology
  • Pancreatitis / genetics
  • Pancreatitis / metabolism*
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Tumor Microenvironment / genetics

Substances

  • Interleukin-6
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor