title: Alternative activation of macrophages.
abstract: The classical pathway of interferon-gamma-dependent activation of macrophages by T helper 1 (T(H)1)-type responses is a well-established feature of cellular immunity to infection with intracellular pathogens, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and HIV. The concept of an alternative pathway of macrophage activation by the T(H)2-type cytokines interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-13 has gained credence in the past decade, to account for a distinctive macrophage phenotype that is consistent with a different role in humoral immunity and repair. In this review, I assess the evidence in favour of alternative macrophage activation in the light of macrophage heterogeneity, and define its limits and relevance to a range of immune and inflammatory conditions.
authors.affiliation: Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK. Christine.Holt@path.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Siamon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gordon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D018925:Chemokines / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000276:immunology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000276:immunology*; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; D018793:Interleukin-13; D015847:Interleukin-4