Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a signaling protein your immune system produces during inflammation and stress. It is measured to assess your body's inflammatory state and can indicate how well your immune system is responding to infection, injury, or chronic conditions.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a signaling protein your immune system produces during inflammation and stress. It is measured to assess your body's inflammatory state and can indicate how well your immune system is responding to infection, injury, or chronic conditions.
When elevated: Elevated IL-6 typically signals active inflammation in your body, which may occur with infection, autoimmune disease, chronic inflammatory conditions, or significant physical stress. Persistently high levels are also associated with increased cardiovascular risk and poor metabolic health. When low: Low IL-6 levels are generally favorable and indicate minimal systemic inflammation. Extremely low levels are uncommon and not typically clinically concerning unless part of a broader immune dysfunction pattern.
IL-6 rises acutely during and immediately after intense exercise as a signaling molecule that supports muscle adaptation and recovery—it's not inherently harmful in this context. Chronically elevated resting IL-6, however, may reflect inadequate recovery, overtraining syndrome, or systemic inflammation that can slow adaptation and increase injury risk. Tracking trends over time is more useful than single values for athletes optimizing training balance.
Turnaround Time
3 days (up to 9 days)
Method
Electrochemiluminescence Immunoassay (ECLIA)
Order online
Choose your lab and check out. We send your lab requisition automatically — no doctor visit needed.
Get your sample collected
Visit a lab service center near you for a quick blood draw (or book at-home phlebotomy where available).
See your results
Your results land in your Insider portal, ready to review and act on — that easy.
Your price
$135.00$405
3.0× less than retail
Versus the typical direct-to-consumer retail price for this test (illustrative — consumer prices vary by provider and region).
$135.00
Peer-reviewed sources supporting the educational content on this page.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a signaling protein your immune system produces during inflammation and stress. It is measured to assess your body's inflammatory state and can indicate how well your immune system is responding to infection, injury, or chronic conditions.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a signaling protein your immune system produces during inflammation and stress. It is measured to assess your body's inflammatory state and can indicate how well your immune system is responding to infection, injury, or chronic conditions.
When elevated: Elevated IL-6 typically signals active inflammation in your body, which may occur with infection, autoimmune disease, chronic inflammatory conditions, or significant physical stress. Persistently high levels are also associated with increased cardiovascular risk and poor metabolic health.
The Interleukin-6, Serum test starts at $135.00 at Labcorp. No doctor's visit and no insurance needed; we do not bill insurance. Fitomics Insider members pay from $108.54.
Results for the Interleukin-6, Serum test are typically ready about 3 days after your draw, and up to 9 days for some samples. Your results land in your Insider portal.
No. When you order the Interleukin-6, Serum test from Fitomics Research Labs, a licensed physician in our 50-state network reviews and signs your requisition after checkout, and it lands in your portal and inbox. Then visit any Labcorp, Quest, or BioReference patient service center for your draw; results post to your Insider portal.
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