title: The counter-regulation of atherogenesis: a role for interleukin-33.
abstract: The recently recognized cytokine interleukin-33 and its receptor ST2 play a favorable role during atherogenesis by inducing a Th1 --> Th2 shift of the immune response. IL-33 also protects the failing human heart from harmful biomechanical forces which lead to cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and exaggerated interstitial fibrosis. IL-33 inevitably displays side effects common to other Th2 cytokines, the most grave of which is a predisposition to allergic reactions. IL-33 is a nuclear transcription factor of endothelial cells. As such, it is abundant in nonproliferating vessels. Its down-regulation is required for angiogenesis, which may be profitable in wound healing or deleterious in tumor growth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kunes
authors.forename: Zdenka
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Holubcová
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kolácková
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krejsek
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006801:Humans; D000072179:Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like 1 Protein; D000067596:Interleukin-33; D007378:Interleukins / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000502:physiology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C079241:IL1RL1 protein, human; C506536:IL33 protein, human; D000072179:Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like 1 Protein; D000067596:Interleukin-33; D007378:Interleukins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface