IL6 and major depressive disorder: As with these other illnesses, bipolar disorder is understood to have an inflammatory component, with systematic reviews reporting elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), soluble tumour necrosis factor receptor type 1 (sTNF-R1) and soluble inlerleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) levels in patients with manic bipolar disorder compared with controls; elevated sTNF-R1 levels in manic compared with euthymic bipolar disorder;15 and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP)16 and interleukin-6 (IL-6)17 levels in depression compared with euthymia.