ObjectiveTo explore the role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in cervical cancer cell C-33A.MethodsThe cervical cancer cells C-33A were divided into the IL-6 group and the control group after culture. The IL-6 group were treated with 50 ng/mL of recombinant IL-6 protein, and the control group were without IL-6. Then cell viability and cell migration were detected by MTT assay and wound-healing assay, respectively. The mRNA and protein expressions of epithelial-cadherin (E-Cad), neural-cadherin (N-Cad), vimentin and transcription factors-snail1 (TFs-SNAIL1) were analyzed by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively.ResultsCompared with the control group, in the IL-6 group the proliferation of cervical cancer cells C-33A was promoted (12 h: 0.388±0.025 vs. 0.597±0.057; 24 h: 0.547±0.021 vs. 0.798±0.036; 48 h: 0.745±0.056 vs. 1.296±0.122; 72 h: 1.074±0.053 vs. 1.805±0.113; P<0.05), and the relative migration ability of cervical cancer cell was promoted (12 h: 1.057±0.029vs. 1.200±0.045; 24 h: 1.189±0.036 vs. 1.428±0.181; 48 h: 1.273±0.059 vs. 1.569±0.143; 72 h: 1.409±0.047 vs. 1.623±0.170; P<0.05); meanwhile, compared with the control group, in the IL-6 group, the expression of E-Cad mRNA (1.012±0.098vs. 0.483±0.171, P<0.01) and E-Cad protein (1.032±0.015vs. 0.395±0.119; P<0.01) decreased, the expression of N-Cad mRNA (1.054±0.106vs. 1.465±0.230, P<0.01) and N-Cad protein (1.040±0.043vs. 1.605±0.128, P<0.01) increased, the expression of vimentin mRNA (1.050±0.083vs. 1.340±0.099, P<0.05) and vimentin protein (1.043±0.062vs. 1.430±0.077, P<0.05) increased, and the expression of TFs-SNAIL1 mRNA (1.058±0.176vs. 1.510±0.229, P<0.01) and Fs-SNAIL1 protein (1.022±0.015vs. 1.470±0.139, P<0.01) increased.ConclusionIL-6 may promote the proliferation, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of cervical cancer cell C-33A.