IL6 and acromegaly: An additional argument confirming the inflammatory background of acromegaly is the fact that IGF-1 attenuates the production of monocyte-derived proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8), interleukin 1 β (IL-1 β), via mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK).