IL6 and pancreatitis: Relevant to cytokine biomarkers, a recent translational research study implicated a role for soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) in mediating the pro-inflammatory effect of IL-6 during pancreatitis through a process called IL-6 trans-signaling, in which IL-6 complexes with sIL-6R and can induce alternative cellular signaling cascades [5].