Cytokines<br />Cytokines are signaling proteins that help control inflammation in your body. They allow your immune system to mount a defense if germs or other substances that can make you sick enter your body. Too many cytokines can lead to excess inflammation and conditions like autoimmune diseases.<br />Cytokines<br />Cytokines are proteins that function as chemical messengers in your immune system. Your immune system is a network with several parts that work together to protect your body from threats, like germs that can make you sick. It contains immune cells that fight invading pathogens (like viruses and bacteria), allergens and other harmful substances that enter your body. Cytokines signal those immune cells to fight the invaders.<br />ADVERTISEMENT<br />Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. <br />Even when there’s no threat, cytokines send signals to other cells that keep your immune system functioning.<br /> the different types of cytokines <br />Cytokines include different types of proteins that tell immune cells where to go and what to do to keep your immune system functioning correctly.<br />• Chemokines: Chemokines direct immune cells toward places in your body where they can fight infection.<br />• Interferons: Interferons signal cells to put up their defenses against viruses invading your body. In this way, interferons “interfere” in the process that allows viruses to replicate, or make more viruses once they’ve invaded a healthy cell.<br />• Interleukins: Interleukins get their name from “inter” which means between and “leukocyte,” which is another name for a white blood cell. Originally, scientists thought that leukocytes alone released interleukins and only relayed messages to other leukocytes. But now we know that cells other than leukocytes release these proteins. Also, interleukins can relay messages between cells that aren’t leukocytes.<br />• Tumor necrosis factor (TNF): TNF helps regulate inflammation in your body. TNF also signals to immune cells that kill tumor cells.<br />• Colony-stimulating factors (CSF): CSF signals hematopoietic stem cells to develop into specific cell types. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are precursor cells that give rise to all blood cell types: white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. These changes take place during a process called hematopoiesis. For example, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) signals an HSC to become a white blood cell called a neutrophil. Neutrophils help fight infection.<br />ADVERTISEMENT<br />Some cytokines get their names from the type of cell that makes them, including:<br />• Lymphokines: Produced by lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell.<br />• Monokines: Produced by monocytes, a type of white blood cell.<br />Function<br />Cytokines are most known for regulating inflammation in your body. Many people think of inflammation as a pesky symptom that means you’re sick or have allergies. But inflammation is a sign that your body’s immune cells are fighting invaders or healing tissue damage. Your body’s cells release cytokines when there’s a threat. The cytokines tell your immune cells how to fight threats and repair injuries.<br />Think of cytokines as chemical messengers that tell cells how to behave.<br />Cytokines signal:<br />• Cell activation: Cytokines tell cells where to go and what to do. For example, cytokines can direct immune cells toward an infection site so the cells can fight germs there. They can heighten or lessen the processes associated with inflammation.<br />• Cell differentiation: Cytokines can tell immature cells to develop into a specific type of cell. For example, cytokines can tell an immature cell to mature into a white blood cell capable of fighting infection.<br />• Cell proliferation: Cytokines can tell a cell to make more cells just like it. For example, cytokines can tell a white blood cell to make more white blood cells to fight infection.<br />Cytokines can also signal your body’s cells to release more cytokines to increase your body’s inflammatory response.<br />• Pro-inflammatory cytokines trigger or heighten inflammation. They relay messages that coordinate your body’s immune response to fend off attackers, like germs.<br />• Anti-inflammatory cytokines stop or lessen inflammation. They relay messages that prevent an excessive immune response that can lead to tissue damage.<br />جامعة المستقبل الجامعة الاولى في العراق<br />قسم تقنيات المختبرات الطبية الاول في التصنيف الوطني العراقي