Cytokines are a broad and loose category of small proteins (~5–20 kDa) that are important in cell signaling. They are released by cells and affect the behavior of other cells, and sometimes the releasing cell itself. There are many types of Cytokines, including chemokines, interferons, interleukins, lymphokines, tumour necrosis factor but generally not hormones or growth factors (despite some terminologic overlap). All those types of cytokines are produced by a broad range of cells, including immune cells like macrophages, B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes and mast cells, as well as endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and various stromal cells; a given cytokine may be produced by more than one type of cell.
| Cytokines | Source |
| IL-1(IL-1α and -β) | Macrophages, dendritic cells, endothelial cells, other cells |
| IL-2 | TH1 cells |
| IL-3 | TH, Tc and NK cells |
| IL-4 | TH2 cells, mast cells, NK cells |
| IL-5 | TH2 cells, mast cells |
| IL-6 | Macrophages, TH2 cells |
| IL-8 | Bone marrow, thymus |
| IL-9 | TH2 cells |
| IL-10 | TH2 cells |
| IL-11 | Bone marrow |
| IL-12 | Macrophages, Bcells |
| IL-13 | TH cells |
| IL-16 | Tc cells |
| IL-18 | Hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic lineage cells |
| IFN-α | Leukocytes |
| IFN-β | Fibroblasts |
| IFN-γ | TH1, TC, NK |
| TNF-α | Macrophages |
| TNF-β | T cells |
| Cytokines | Target |
| IL-1(IL-1α and -β) | TH and B cells and various other tissues |
| IL-2 | TH, Tc and NK cells |
| IL-3 | Hematopoietic and mast cells |
| IL-4 | B cells, T cells, mast cells, macrophages |
| IL-5 | Eosinophils |
| IL-6 | Plasma cells, B cells and others |
| IL-8 | Neutrophils |
| IL-9 | TH cells, mast cells, eosinophils |
| IL-10 | Macrophages, APC |
| IL-11 | B-cell progenitors and others |
| IL-12 | Tc, NK and LAK cells |
| IL-13 | Macrophages, B cells |
| IL-16 | TH cells |
| IL-18 | T cells, NK cells |
| IFN-α | |
| IFN-β | |
| IFN-γ | Various cells incluing macrophages |
| TNF-α | Tumor cells, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, macrophages |
| TNF-β | Tumor cells, neutrophils, macrophages |
| Cytokines | Biological Role |
| IL-1(IL-1α and -β) | Activation |
| IL-2 | T cell and NK proliferation and induciton of activity |
| IL-3 | Progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation |
| IL-4 | Proliferration, isotype switching, induction of MHC class II expression |
| IL-5 | Proliferation and differentiation |
| IL-6 | Diffenentiation and antibody secretion |
| IL-8 | Chemoattractant |
| IL-9 | Induces inflammatory responses |
| IL-10 | Anti-inflammatory cytokin inhibits cytokin production |
| IL-11 | Differentiation |
| IL-12 | Proliferation and differentiation in synergy with IL-2 |
| IL-13 | Inhibition of inflammatory cytokines, regulation of inflammation. Parasitic infections |
| IL-16 | Chemotaxis |
| IL-18 | Proinflammatory cytokine; IFN-γ inducing factor |
| IFN-α | Inhibitor of viral replication |
| IFN-β | Inhibitor of viral replication |
| IFN-γ | Inhibitoe of viral replication. Inhibitor of cell proliferation. Inhibitor of IL-4 induced isotype switching |
| TNF-α | Cytotoxicity, induction of cytokin secretion |
| TNF-β | Cytotoxicity, phagocytosis |
1, Yong-Jun Liu, et al. TSLP: An Epithelial Cell Cytokine that Regulates T Cell Differentiation by Conditioning Dendritic Cell Maturation.Annu. Rev. Immunol. 2007. 25:193–219.
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5, Yong-Jun Liu, et al. TSLP: An Epithelial Cell Cytokine that Regulates T Cell Differentiation by Conditioning Dendritic Cell Maturation.Annu. Rev. Immunol. 2007. 25:193–219
6,Mosmann TR, Sad S. The expanding universe of T cell subsetsÐTh1, Th2 and more. Immunol Today 1996; 17:138±46.
