The increase of IL-6 in both inflamed and neoplastic cholangiocytes and the elevated serum IL-6 in patients with cholangiocarcinoma indicate that IL-6 is a key mediator of bile duct epithelial disorders, by inducing proliferation (MAPK pathway) and upregulating epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (STAT3) and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 molecules in cholangiocytes (Akt-dependent pathway) [43, 60, 71]. The gene discussed is IL6; the disease is cholangiocarcinoma.