Well consistent with the report that serum IL-6 is a risk factor for tumor progression [55], we observed that IL-6 concentrations were significantly high in the patients with advanced tumors (P < 0.001; Fig 2E), but it was not linked with Vpr (P = 0.655 for local tumor, and P = 0.944 for systemic tumor; Fig 2F). Here, IL6 is linked to neoplasm.