Module 5 Flashcards
cytokines
low molecular weight regulatory proteins or glycoproteins secreted by leukocytes and various other cells in the body in response to stimuli
- cytokines are mainly produced by helper T cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages
- function to act as local messengers of the immune system, but can exert effects systemically
cytokine types
if cytokines are secreted by lymphocytes, they are called lymphokines, whereas if they are secreted by monocytes, they are called monokines
common cytokine classes
interleukins (IL): IL-1 to IL-33
tumor necrosis factor (TNF)
interferon (IFN)
chemokines
cytokine effect exertion
cytokines can either be autocrine (exert their effects by binding to receptors on the same cell), paracrine (exerting effects on nearby target cells), or endocrine (exerting effects on distance cells)
cytokine properties
cytokines exhibit a very high affinity for their receptors and are able to exert their effects with a very small amount of active cytokine
roles of cytokines
- cellular and humoral immune response: cytokines are the messengers between the innate and adaptive immune systems
- inflammation: pro-inflammatory cytokines are produced by activated macrophages
- hematopoiesis: cytokine IL-7 is integral for B-cell development
- cellular proliferation and differentiation
- wound healing
cytokines in the immune system
cytokines provide the link mediating the transition from innate to adaptive immunity
- suggested that T cell derived cytokines play a role in limiting the innate response and promote the initiation of the antigen-specific adaptive response
cytokines and the immune response
cytokines regulate the magnitude and nature of the immune response by influencing the growth and differentiation of lymphocytes and other cells of the immune system
four attributes of cytokines
pleiotropy
redundancy
synergy
antagonism
pleiotropy
a single cytokine can produce multiple effects either by acting on a single cell type of on multiple cell types
- ex: IL-4 can stimulate multiple effects in B cells, and can stimulate additional effects in thymocytes and mast cells
redundancy
many cytokines are redundant in nature
- they can target the same cell and elicit the same effect
- this is advantageous if there is a deregulation in one of the cytokines, as the ‘redundant’ cytokines can continue to exert the effects and maintain the immune response
syngergy
the combined effects of some cytokines is greater than the added effect of each of them separately
antagonism
cytokines can act on other cytokines to impact their effects
pro-inflammatory cytokines
IL-1 beta
IL-6
TNF-alpha
inflammatory cytokines play a crucial role in immune cell activation
anti-inflammatory cytokines
IL-10
TGF-beta
cytokine storm
the release of large concentrations of inflammatory cytokines after infection or injury
- prolonged inflammation can lead to complications like tissue damage
- highlights the importance of having a balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cyoktines
T-cell cytokines
these support T-cell proliferation and activation
- IL-2: made by T-cells
- IL-4: made by helper T-cells
- IL-12: made by macrophages and dendritic cells
B-cell cytokines
these support B-cell proliferation and differentiation
- IL-4 and IL-5: made by helper T cells
- IL-7: made by stromal cells