IL6 and atherosclerosis: This is not surprising since adipose tissue is an active endocrine organ that secretes a variety of cytokines such as C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and leptin, which are, in fact, involved in atherosclerosis not only in the general population (6) but also in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases (2, 7, 8).