Posted by utired2? on May 30, 2009 at 23:15:48:http://arthritis.about.com/od/inflammation/f/cytokines.htm
Question: What Are Cytokines?
Cytokines serve as molecular messengers between cells. With regard to arthritis, cytokines regulate various inflammatory responses. Cytokines are often discussed in arthritis research but are not well understood by most patients. What exactly are cytokines? Are there different kinds of cytokines?Answer:
Cytokines are proteins that are produced by cells. Cytokines interact with cells of the immune system in order to regulate the body's response to disease and infection. Cytokines also mediate normal cellular processes in the body.Types of Cytokines
Cytokines are diverse, meaning, they are not all alike. The body produces different types of cytokines:
colony stimulating factors (stimulate production of blood cells)
growth and differentiation factors (function primarily in development)
immunoregulatory and proinflammatory cytokines (interferon, interleukins, and TNF-alpha that function in the immune system)How Cytokines Work
The immune system is complex -- different types of immune cells and proteins do different jobs. Cytokines are among those proteins. Explaining how cytokines work is difficult. It's a lesson in cell physiology. But to understand inflammation, you must understand the role that cytokines play.Cytokines are released by cells into the circulation or directly into tissue. The cytokines locate target immune cells and interact with receptors on the target immune cells by binding to them. The interaction triggers or stimulates specific responses by the target cells.
Overproduction of Cytokines
Overproduction or inappropriate production of certain cytokines by the body can result in disease. For example, it has been found that interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) are produced in excess in rheumatoid arthritis where they are involved in inflammation and tissue destruction.
http://www.fmpartnership.org/Files/Website2005/Learn%20About%20Fibromyalgia/Research/Abstracts_2009Q1.htmTogo F, Natelson BH, Adler GK, Ottenweller JE, Goldenberg DL, Struzik ZR, Yamamoto Y
Plasma cytokine fluctuations over time in healthy controls and patients with fibromyalgia
We examined the pattern of cytokine secretion across the 24-hr day for women with widespread pain and tenderness having the diagnosis of fibromyalgia (FM) and matched healthy controls. Subjects were given time to habituate to being in a clinical research laboratory environment and then were sampled for cytokines without their being disturbed for a 24-hr period including an 8-hr sleep period. Cytokine levels were uniformly low but characterized by bursts of secretion. Bursting occurred either in singlets or in doublets with a range from 88 to 131 mins between doublet bursts. There was an element of synchronization of these bursts with most occurring at the beginning of sampling. FM patients showed a shift to increased IL-10 in the nighttime compared to controls. The relation between this anti-inflammatory cytokine to the pro-inflammatory cytokines studied also differed between groups: FM patients showed an increased ratio of IL-10 burst amplitude to that of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta, IL-8, and TNF-alpha. We interpret this to indicate a skew away from the normal balance favoring pro-inflammatory cytokines in controls toward one favoring an anti-inflammatory response in FM. These changes toward anti-inflammatory predominance in FM may explain the common complaint of disturbed sleep because these cytokines are known to disrupt sleep.
Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2009 Feb; 234(2):232–40. Epub 2008 Dec 8