IL6 and atrial fibrillation: In more detail, IL-1 promotes atrial fibrosis and the modification of ion channel expression; IL-6 levels are commonly found in patients with atrial fibrillation, and this cytokine is believed to influence electrical conduction by altering gap junctions and intercellular communication; TNF-α can induce the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS), causes oxidative stress and ion channel dysfunction (Chen et al., 2020).