title: Cytokines in infectious diseases.
abstract: Cytokines are heterogeneous group of proteins that are produced by a wide variety of cells in the body and act as signals between the cells of the immune system. The recent discovery of two distinct subsets of T-helper cells led to the development of a conceptual framework of complex network of cytokine pathways in the regulation of immune responses against a variety of infectious agents. In this brief review, we have attempted to present a concise summary of the current state of knowledge of this complex interaction among cytokines that result in a cascade of biological events leading to inflammatory response and host defense against pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama, Birmingham 35233, USA.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Boppana
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D007121:Immunocompetence / Q000276:immunology; D007239:Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines