Biology & Longevity
Inflammation Biomarkers Explained
hs-CRP, IL-6, TNF-α and ESR measure related but distinct things. What each one is actually reporting.
August 7, 2026 · 6 min read · Novanta Research
Acute phase reactants
C-reactive protein is produced by the liver in response to IL-6 signalling. The high-sensitivity assay (hs-CRP) resolves the low range where chronic low-grade inflammation lives, as opposed to the standard assay used for acute infection.
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate is an older, slower and less specific measure of the same general phenomenon.
Cytokines
IL-6 and TNF-α are signalling molecules rather than downstream products, so they respond faster than CRP — but they also have short half-lives and pulsatile release, which makes single measurements unreliable.
IL-6 is particularly context-dependent: it acts as a pro-inflammatory cytokine in chronic states and as a transient myokine released during exercise, which is why timing relative to activity changes the interpretation entirely.
Reading a panel
None of these markers is specific to a cause. Elevated hs-CRP indicates inflammation is present; it says nothing about where or why. Interpretation requires clinical context, repeat measurement and attention to confounders such as recent illness, exercise and sleep debt.
This is laboratory science background, not medical guidance. Interpretation of anyone's health markers belongs with a licensed provider.
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For laboratory and research use only. Not for human or veterinary consumption. Novanta Research is not a compounding pharmacy and nothing in this article is medical advice or a claim that any compound diagnoses, treats, cures or prevents any condition.