IL-6 and Olfactory Dysfunction: Focus on Changes, Effects, and Mechanisms.

The sense of smell is vital for human life and risk identification. Many diseases can cause olfactory disorders, and early identification and intervention of olfactory disorders are crucial. Currently, the diagnosis of olfactory disorders in clinical practice mostly relies on subjective visual analog scale (VAS) evaluations, expensive and complex imaging, and neurophysiological examinations, which lead to poor patient compliance and low completion rates. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify novel, objective, easily detectable biological indicators. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an inflammatory factor that is closely associated with olfactory dysfunction in various diseases. However, the role of IL-6 in the occurrence and development of olfactory disorders is not yet clear, which limits its clinical application. This article reviews the changes and possible mechanisms of IL-6 in various diseases associated with olfactory disorders, with the aim of providing a reference for the clinical application of IL-6 as a biomarker for olfactory disorders and promoting an in-depth exploration of its mechanism in the occurrence and development of olfactory disorders.