Specimen

2 mL (1 mL min.) plasma from 1 Lavender Top (EDTA) tube. Separate plasma within 2 hours of collection. Ship refrigerated or frozen. Patient should avoid Biotin at least 8 hours prior to specimen collection.

Usage

Interleukin-6 / IL-6 is a member of the cytokine family with a pivotal role in the activation & regulation of immune response. Cytokines play several important roles in the body but its significance to the immune system has been given much importance as it triggers “inflammatory cascade” where a coordinated and sequential immune response is activated. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) is a systemic inflammatory response that can be caused by infection and certain drugs. IL-6 is a key molecule in CRS and is now being used to monitor its response in COVID patients. It can be used as a predictor for patients with higher risk of disease deterioration. High levels of cytokines induced by Sars-CoV-2 virus requires timely treatment to reduce lung damage via inflammation, thereby improving recovery rates and reducing mortality.