IL6 and inflammatory bowel disease: Recent genetic and immunological studies have directly linked cytokines to the pathogenesis of IBD, with an imbalance between pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor-α, etc.)and anti-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-10, interleukin-4, transforming growth factor-β, etc.)driving inflammation, recurrence, and exacerbation [12].