ArticleThe Journal of experimental medicine2009
The induction of antibody production by IL-6 is indirectly mediated by IL-21 produced by CD4+ T cells.
Article in The Journal of experimental medicine, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03414086 (Predictor of Clinical Response to Acthar in Myositis), which is not on this map. Cited by 254 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Predictor of Clinical Response to Acthar in Myositis: Phase II of Acthar Clinical Trial
Who cites it
254 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 432 citations in OpenAlex.
- Immunogenicity of biologic agents in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2019Pooled it
- Efficacy of BCG Vaccination Against Respiratory Tract Infections in Older Adults During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2022Trial
- Immune Profiles Identification by Vaccinomics After MVA Immunization in Randomized Clinical Study.Frontiers in immunology · 2020Trial
- The association of serum interleukin-6 levels with clinical outcomes in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis.Journal of autoimmunity · 2019Trial
- Predictors of response to anti-IL6 monoclonal antibody therapy (siltuximab) in idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease: secondary analyses of phase II clinical trial data.British journal of haematology · 2019Trial
- Vaccine Responses in Early Age.Vaccines · 2026Review
- TRPV3 facilitates metabolic alarmin-driven humoral immunity: from infection shielding to lupus flares.Cellular & molecular immunology · 2026Article
- The anti-interleukin-6 antibody ALD518-P18 mitigates murine kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Fulminant Amyloid β-Related Angiitis With Herniation and Rapid Response to Tocilizumab: A Case Report.Neurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation · 2026Article
- CD161⁺ Treg as a potential biomarker for evaluating disease activity and treatment efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis.Clinical rheumatology · 2026Article
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- Skin cells boost distant antibody responses.Nature · 2026Article
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- Recombinant duck enteritis virus harboring the hemagglutinin genes of influenza virus rapidly induces specific cellular immunity in ducks.Journal of virology · 2026Article
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- Particularly strong immune response to influenza vaccination in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis linked to systemic inflammation.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Observational
- Distinct remission immune architectures under rituximab and azathioprine in AQP4-IgG-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- Fragrant TRPV3 agonists act as titratable organic adjuvants to amplify antigen-specific IgG response.Immunity & inflammation · 2026Article
- Kinetics of foot-and-mouth disease antibody response in cattle vaccinated with FMD-HS-BQ combined vaccine under field condition.Frontiers in microbiology · 2026Article
- From IL-6 production to IL-6R buffering: a unified IL-6-IL-6R framework for immune homeostasis during viral infection.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
194 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
13 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Interleukin (IL) 6 is a proinflammtory cytokine produced by antigen-presenting cells and nonhematopoietic cells in response to external stimuli. It was initially identified as a B cell growth factor and inducer of plasma cell differentiation in vitro and plays an important role in antibody production and class switching in vivo. However, it is not clear whether IL-6 directly affects B cells or acts through other mechanisms. We show that IL-6 is sufficient and necessary to induce IL-21 production by naive and memory CD4(+) T cells upon T cell receptor stimulation. IL-21 production by CD4(+) T cells is required for IL-6 to promote B cell antibody production in vitro. Moreover, administration of IL-6 with inactive influenza virus enhances virus-specific antibody production, and importantly, this effect is dependent on IL-21. Thus, IL-6 promotes antibody production by promoting the B cell helper capabilities of CD4(+) T cells through increased IL-21 production. IL-6 could therefore be a potential coadjuvant to enhance humoral immunity.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.