Figure 4. Amplification cascades boost IL-1 actions implicated in atherothrombosis.
nterleukin-1 (IL-1) can induce its own gene expression in many cell types, including those implicated in atherosclerosis. This property provides a positive feedback amplification loop for boosting IL-1 levels at sites of inflammation. IL-1 also strongly augments the production of IL-6 by various cell types. IL-6 mediates the acute phase response through which the liver produces proteins that participate in host defenses, but that also augments thrombosis and inhibits fibrinolysis as explained in the text.