Interleukin 12 (IL-12) family is comprised of 4 members, IL-12, IL-23, IL-27 and IL-35.
IL-12, IL-23 and IL-27 are secreted by activated antigen presenting cells (APC) during antigen presentation to naïve T cells while IL-35 is a product of regulatory T and B cells.
This family of cytokines plays crucial roles in shaping immune responses during antigen presentation and influence cell-fate decisions of differentiating naïve T cells. They also play essential roles in regulating functions of a variety of effector cells, making IL-12 family cytokines important therapeutic targets or agents in a number of inflammatory diseases, such as the CNS autoimmune diseases, uveitis and multiple sclerosis.
One of a group of related proteins made by leukocytes (white blood cells) and other cells in the body. Interleukin-12 is made mainly by B lymphocytes and macrophages. It causes other immune cells to make cytokines and increases the growth of T lymphocytes. It may also block the growth of new blood vessels. Interleukin-12 made in the laboratory is used as a biological response modifier to boost the immune system in cancer therapy. Interleukin-12 is a type of cytokine. Also called IL-12.
They provide the bridge between innate and adaptive immune systems by priming naïve CD4+ T cells to differentiate into cytokine-producing T-helper subsets and memory T cells. In addition to their influence on cell-fate decisions of differentiating lymphocytes, IL-12 cytokines regulate cellular pathways required for proper functioning of the immune system, with some members activating pro-inflammatory responses that confer protection against infection while others restrain unbridled immune responses that cause autoimmune diseases.
References:
https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/interleukin-12
Sun L, He C, Nair L, Yeung J, Egwuagu CE. Interleukin 12 (IL-12) family cytokines: Role in immune pathogenesis and treatment of CNS autoimmune disease. Cytokine. 2015;75(2):249-255. doi:10.1016/j.cyto.2015.01.030
el-Shabrawi Y, Livir-Rallatos C, Christen W, Baltatzis S, Foster CS. High levels of interleukin-12 in the aqueous humor and vitreous of patients with uveitis. Ophthalmology. 1998;105:1659–1663. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
Balashov KE, Smith DR, Khoury SJ, Hafler DA, Weiner HL. Increased interleukin 12 production in progressive multiple sclerosis: induction by activated CD4+ T cells via CD40 ligand. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997;94:599–603. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
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Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine produced mainly by immune cells such as macrophages and dendritic cells. It plays a pivotal role in activating the Th1 (T-helper 1) immune response, which is essential for defending the body against intracellular pathogens like viruses and certain bacteria. IL-12 also influences inflammation, autoimmunity, and even mood regulation.
When serum IL-12 levels are elevated, it generally signals heightened immune activation—often in the context of inflammation, infection, autoimmune disease, or, less commonly, psychiatric and oncological conditions.
Elevated IL-12 is frequently observed in diseases characterized by excessive or misdirected immune responses, such as:
Rheumatoid arthritis
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
Multiple sclerosis
Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis)
Psoriasis
Type 1 diabetes
IL-12 promotes Th1 cell differentiation and stimulates IFN-γ production, both of which drive autoimmune inflammation.
IL-12 levels can increase significantly in response to infections, particularly:
Viral infections (e.g., Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, HIV)
Intracellular bacterial infections (e.g., tuberculosis, salmonella)
Parasitic infections (e.g., leishmaniasis)
IL-12 is crucial for mounting effective cell-mediated immunity to clear infected cells. Notably, genetic deficiencies in IL-12 or its receptor can lead to severe, recurrent infections.
Recent research has shown that IL-12 is often elevated in individuals with major depressive disorder, sometimes reaching levels many times higher than in healthy controls. This may reflect inflammation-driven changes in neurotransmitter metabolism and is associated with greater symptom severity.
IL-12 can be elevated in certain cancers, especially those with active immune engagement against tumor cells. It is also being studied as a therapeutic agent in cancer immunotherapy. However, some aggressive tumors (such as invasive ductal breast carcinoma) may actually suppress IL-12 levels as a mechanism of immune evasion.
IL-12 levels may transiently rise during cytokine-based therapies (such as IL-2, interferons), certain biologics, or after vaccination, reflecting immune system activation.
IL-12 itself does not directly cause symptoms, but elevated levels are often associated with:
Fever
Fatigue
Joint or muscle pain
Chronic inflammation
Signs of infection, autoimmune flare, or mood changes (in MDD)
| IL-12 Level | Possible Meaning | Key Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Mild elevation | Recent immune activation, early infection, mild inflammation | Viral prodrome, minor trauma |
| Moderate elevation | Chronic autoimmunity, ongoing infection | SLE, Crohn’s, tuberculosis |
| High elevation (>5,000 pg/mL) | Severe inflammation, major depressive disorder, cytokine therapy effect | MDD, cytokine storm, immunotherapy |
Cancer context: IL-12 can be elevated in immune-active tumors but may be reduced in some aggressive cancers.
Autoimmunity vs. protection: While IL-12 drives autoimmunity, it is also essential for protection against certain infections.
IL-12 is not used in isolation for diagnosis, but as part of a broader panel of inflammatory and immune markers (e.g., IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α, CRP, ESR).
If your IL-12 is found to be elevated, your healthcare provider may:
Order complementary cytokine panels
Evaluate for autoimmune, infectious, or psychiatric conditions
Assess your clinical history and symptoms
Repeat the test to confirm persistent elevation
Elevated interleukin-12 (IL-12) levels in serum indicate immune system activation, most often linked to autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammation, intracellular infections, or major depressive disorder. It may also reflect immune surveillance in cancer or the effects of immune-modulating therapies. The clinical significance of elevated IL-12 depends heavily on the broader clinical context, and follow-up testing is often necessary for accurate interpretation.
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Our database covers over 10,000 biomarkers with clear, simple explanations—so you can finally understand your results and what to do next.
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If you'd like to handle inputting your health data into your account, you can do so with our easy-to-use data entry forms. Our user-friendly form is designed to guide you through the quick and easy submission process, making it simple to keep track of your health metrics. This is available to both Complete plan and Unlimited plan members.
Our user-friendly form guides you through a quick, simple submission process, making it easy to enter your health metrics.
Add your results anytime with our easy entry form. It's quick, guided, and helps you stay organized — free for all members.
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See your lab reports in clear graphs and tables. Spot patterns, track changes, and compare results over time — all in one place.
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Export Your Complete Lab History
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After collecting lab results from different providers, you can download your entire history combined into a single file.
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Our inclusive service handles the data entry for your lab reports. Just submit your information and we'll take care of the rest. Complete plan members receive one report entered for free, then $15 per report after that. Unlimited plan members receive ten report entries for free, then $15 per report after that.
Our inclusive service handles the data entry for your lab reports. Just submit your information and we'll take care of the rest.
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Healthmatters is a personal health dashboard that helps you organize and understand your lab results. It collects and displays your medical test data from any lab in one secure, easy-to-use platform.
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Professionals can also analyze client data more efficiently and save time managing lab reports.
Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:
You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.
If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.
While we work with many popular labs, we welcome reports from lots of other places too.
It's as simple as this: if you can get a test done, you can upload it to Healthmatters and we can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.
If you're on the hunt for a specific biomarker, contact us and we'll add it to our database. Anything from blood, urine, saliva, or stool can be uploaded, understood, and tracked with your Healthmatters account.
The Complete Plan ($15/month) is perfect for individuals who want ongoing access to their health data. It includes unlimited lab imports, visual tracking, custom ranges, result explanations, full account exports, and secure sharing — all with a simple monthly subscription. You can cancel anytime and restart your plan whenever you're ready — your data will still be there waiting for you. You can also upgrade to the Unlimited Plan at any time, with the cost prorated based on what you've already paid.
The Unlimited Plan ($250 one-time) is also designed for individuals but offers lifetime access with no ongoing subscription. You'll get all the same features as the Complete Plan, plus a larger initial data entry allowance (10 reports), making it a great choice if you prefer a one-time payment and long-term use without monthly fees.
In short:
There are two ways to add your test reports to your Healthmatters account. One option is to input the data using the data entry forms. The other method is to utilize our "Data entry service."
Our data entry forms offer an easy, fast, and free way for you to input the reports yourself. Self-entry allows you to add an unlimited number of reports at no cost. We make the self-entry process user-friendly, providing dozens of templates that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels and offering instant feedback on entered values.
For those who prefer assistance, we offer a "Data entry service" to help you input your data. Simply attach an image or file of your lab test results, and a qualified team member from our data entry team will add the results for you.
We support various file types, including PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is particularly useful if you have many reports to upload or if you're too busy to handle the data entry yourself.
Our Data Entry Service is for when you don't want to manually type in your lab results yourself. You simply upload your report (PDF, image, or screenshot), and our trained team enters the information into your Healthmatters account for you — accurately and neatly organized, ready to view in graphs, tables, and timelines.
The $15 per report covers the time and care it takes for a real person to review your file, make sure each result is entered correctly, and double-check for accuracy. This ensures your health data is precise and easy to work with — without you having to spend the time doing it yourself.
Prefer to do it yourself? You can always use our free self-entry tool to add results manually — it just takes a bit more time and attention.
For users on the Complete monthly plan, the first report is entered free of charge, and each additional report incurs a fee of $15.
Unlimited account holders enjoy the entry of ten reports without charge. Subsequent reports are subject to a $15 fee per report.
Additionally, users on the Complete plan can upgrade to a yearly subscription from the account settings. The annual subscription includes a data entry service for five reports.
All professional accounts allow you to import and onboard an unlimited number of clients and their lab results. The distinction between professional plans lies solely in the data entry service.
The Pro Monthly Plus plan is priced at $75 per month and includes a data entry service for five reports each month. Additional reports can be self-entered at no extra cost or, if preferred, you can use our data entry service for an additional fee of $15 per report.
The Pro Monthly plan is priced at $45 per month and does not include a data entry service. Self-entry is free for an unlimited number of reports, and you can opt for the data entry service at a fee of $15 per report.
You also have the option to upgrade to higher monthly or to annual plans, which come with substantial discounts. All upgrades can be done directly from your account.
Simply log in and navigate to your account settings to cancel your subscription. Scroll down to locate the 'Cancel' button at the bottom of the page. Ensure you cancel at least one day before the renewal date to prevent any charges. Once cancellation is requested, the subscription remains active until the conclusion of the current billing cycle.
Our goal has been to make your Healthmatters account as intuitive as possible.
We've crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into your historical test reports.
1. Graph View:Dive into a visual journey with our biomarker graphs, showcasing over 40 data points. Combining years of results unveils trends, empowering you to make informed decisions. Our visualization tools make it a breeze to compare and understand changes over time, even if your results are from different labs. A search function and filters simplify the exploration of extensive data, allowing you to focus on what needs attention.
2. All Tests ViewExplore neatly organized reports on a timeline, highlighting crucial details like dates, critical results, and lab/panel names. Each report opens up to reveal in-depth descriptions and additional recommendations for each biomarker. The history of previous results is just a click away, and you can download a comprehensive report for deeper insights. Color-coded and user-friendly, it's designed for easy reading, understanding, and navigation.
3. Table View:For a holistic view of all biomarkers side by side, our table view is your go-to. Results are neatly displayed in a categorized and dated table, ideal for those with an extensive test history. Utilize sorting, filters, and color-coding to enhance your analysis and gain extra insights.
Yes, you can download your information anytime. We offer two easy ways to export your lab data:
This makes it simple to save, back up, or share your health data whenever you need.
Yes, you can print your report. To do so, navigate to "All tests" and open the report you wish to print. You'll find a print button in the right corner of the report. Click on it, and your browser's print window will open. If you prefer to print in a bigger typeface, adjust the scale using the print window settings.
Yes, you can! We highly recommend activating Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for your account. To do so, please navigate to the "Profile and Security" section of your account, where you will find instructions for activating 2FA.
Yes, you can. When entering values for the biomarker, you will see an "Edit Range" button. Click this button, and you'll have the option to enter a custom range.
A personal account is all about keeping your own lab test results in check. It's just for you and your personal use.
The professional account is designed for health professionals who wish to track and organize their clients' laboratory results.
To learn more about Healthmatters Pro, please refer to the professional page.
At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.
Optimal Result:
0 - 1.9 pg/mL.