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Catalog ID IL-6 IL-6 (Interleukin-6)

Important Note

This test currently has FDA Emergency Use Authorization.

Specimen Requirements

2mL collected blood collected in gold top tube (serum separator)

Causes for Rejection

Quantity insufficient for testing, wrong tube, gross hemolysis

Performing Laboratory

Core Laboratory, AD3301, 706-721-2021

Turn-Around-Time

STAT: 1 hour from laboratory specimen receipt

Routine: 3 hours from laboratory specimen receipt

CPT Code

83520

Useful For

Measuring hyper immune response in patients, especially in settings of COVID or hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.

Specimen Stability

Room temp: 8 hours

Refrigerated: 48 hours

Frozen: 30 days

Reference Intervals

There are 4 reference intervals for IL-6:

  1. 0 - 6.3 pg/mL: normal for all patient populations.
  2. 6.4 - 34.9 pg/mL: elevated IL-6 for non-COVID-19 patients
  3. 35.0 - 79.9 pg/mL: elevated IL-6 for COVID-19 patients and at increased risk for needing mechanical ventilation during the course of the disease
  4. ≥ 80.0 pg/mL: critical IL-6 for COVID-19 patients and at increased risk for mortality in next 72 hours

EPIC EAP Test Code

LAB332