CTCF and viral infectious disease: Based on the above-described evidence, we concluded that in WT carriers, viral infection or tissue damage-induced inflammatory response triggered bidirectional activation of the IL-6/IL-6-AS1 locus, resulting in full activation of IL-6 through direct promoter activation and the lncRNA-mediated transcription of closely located genes in cis (Fig. 4f, left); in individuals carrying the variant allele that disrupting CTCF-binding locus at the enhancer of IL-6-AS1, the impact of IL-6-AS1 on IL-6 upregulation was minimal, and IL-6 is mainly regulated by its promoter activation.