IL6 and asthma: The asthmatic exacerbation resulted in increased serum levels of IL-6, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM)-1 and ECP, and increased concentrations of urinary leukotriene E4 (LTE4) and plasma histamine compared with patients with stable asthma and with the 30 control subjects (Figures 2 and 3, Table 1(a)).