197376, Санкт-Петербург, ул. Акад. Павлова, д. 12,
Институт экспериментальной медицины РАМН
Тел.: (812) 543 52 14, +7 921 984 11 30, +7 921 909 55 49
Факс: (812) 543 52 14
E-mail:
Web: cytokines.ru

  

Contents | Next article

Journal 'Cytokines & inflammation', 2002, No. 1

CYTOKINES AS A NEW SYSTEM, REGULATING BODY DEFENSE REACTIONS

A. Simbirtsev

As cytokines is usually identified a group of polypeptide mediators initiating and regulating body defense reactions. Interferons, colony stimulating factors, interleukins, chemokines, tumor necrosis factors, growth transforming factors etc can be included in this group. Several features, common for all the cytokines can be .a basis for uniting them into separate regulatory system. These are: pleiotropy and redundancy of biological action, predominantly inducible synthesis, lack of antigen specificy, mediating of biological effects through specific receptor complexes, autoregulation and cytokine network formation. Cytokines participate in local defense reactions by stimulating of functional activity in various cell types, including different types of blood cells, fibroblasts, endothelial and epithelial cells. Cytokines' hyperproduction leads to systemic inflammatory response and may cause different pathological conditions including septic shock. Acting in both directions, cytokines provide interaction between innate and specific immunity. On the level of body as a whole, they play a key role in maintaining cooperation between different systems such as immune, central nervous, endocrine, hemopoietic etc, so the least become involved into general defense reactions. Some cytokines are now used in clinical practice.

Contents | Next article