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Masoomeh Eghtedari,1,2 Vahid Beigi,2 Mehrnoosh Maalhagh,2 Hossein Ashraf21Pathology Department, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; 2Ophthalmology Department, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IranCorrespondence: Masoomeh EghtedariPoostchi Ophthalmic Research Center, Poostchi Street, Shiraz, IranTel +98 713 230 2830Fax +98 713 629 1779Email eghtedarim@sums.ac.irPurpose: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an important cytokine in the cascade of inflammation and cancer progression. The aim of this study was to identify IL-6 expression in ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) in comparison with non-neoplastic conjunctival tissue.Methods: Twenty paraffin-embedded tissue sections of conjunctiva from patients with OSSN including conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in all grades of severity and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were assessed by immunohistochemistry staining for IL-6. Twenty non-neoplastic conjunctival sections from age matched patients were selected as the control group. Tissues with more than one focus of inflammatory cell infiltration were excluded from the study. The mean area of positive staining was recorded and the intensity of staining was scored in both groups and compared by statistical methods.Results: The mean staining area in the dysplasia group was significantly more than non-neoplastic conjunctival tissue (63.5±25.96 and 30±15.98 percent respectively; P-value of