2026 American Academy of Neurology Abstract Website

Anapaula Cabanillas Seminario¹, Gerardo Luna-Peralta², Leonardo Di Cosmo³, Kevin Cervera¹, Alvaro Milla-Martinez¹, Bryan Rudas Sulca¹, Fernando Reyes¹, DIEGO LOPEZ¹, Angela Ariana Milagros Salvador Palma¹, Angela Remuzgo-Cabezas¹, Danielle Kei Pua⁴
¹Sociedad Científica de San Fernando, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú, ²Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú, ³Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy., ⁴Westchester Medical Center

Objective:

To summarize the current evidence on the clinical significance of interleukin (IL)-6 in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Background:

IL-6 is a promising biomarker under investigation across inflammatory diseases; however, its diagnostic relevance in MS and ability to discriminate between demyelinating diseases remain uncertain.

Design/Methods:

We searched five databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar) up to October 2025 for observational studies on IL-6 and MS. We included only studies that quantified IL-6 in both CSF and serum. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted when possible. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa scale.

Results:

15 studies (773 patients) were included. Plasma IL-6 levels (pg/mL) were not significantly different in MS versus controls (SMD −0.06; 95% CI −0.36 to 0.25; I²=63%), and the same held in CSF (SMD 0.33; 95% CI −0.37 to 1.02; I²=92%). In subtype comparisons, RRMS did not differ from PPMS in plasma (SMD −0.85; 95% CI −0.85 to 0.03; I²=0%) or CSF (SMD 0.45; 95% CI −0.77 to 1.67; I²=85.62%). RRMS and SPMS likewise showed no plasma difference (SMD −0.34; 95% CI −1.14 to 0.45; I²=69.57%), whereas in CSF IL-6 levels were significantly higher in RRMS than in SPMS (SMD 0.75; 95% CI −0.31 to 1.19; I²=0%). Finally, OCB+ and OCB− MS did not differ in plasma (SMD −0.10; 95% CI −1.05 to −0.85; I²=0%) or CSF (SMD −0.49; 95% CI −1.07 to −0.09; I²=62.49%). All studies showed low to moderate risk of bias.

Conclusions:

IL-6 shows no consistent serum or CSF differences between MS and controls, nor across subtypes or OCB status. Current evidence does not support IL-6 as a stand alone diagnostic marker; further higher quality studies are needed.