CYTOKINES

These are group of LOW MOLECULAR (less than 30 kDa) PROTEINS or GLYCOPROTEINS that
mediate CELL TO CELL COMMUNICATION.

An effective immune response involves the interaction between lymphoid cells, inflammatory
cells, and hematopoietic cell, which is mediated by CYTOKINES.

They are secreted by WBC and various OTHER CELLS in the body in response to various STMULI.

Properties of cytokines –
They bind to their RESPECTIVE RECEPTORS on the surface of a TARGET CELL.

Once bound, they ALTER GENE EXPRESSION of the target cell.

Cytokines bind to their receptors with HIGH AFFINITY.

They can act in three forms –

AUTOCRINE (bind to receptor on the membrane of the SAME cell that secreted it);

PARACRINE (bind to receptor of the target cell in CLOSE PROXIMITY of the cell secreting
cytokines);

ENDOCRINE (bind to receptor of target cell FAR AWAY from the cell secreting cytokines).

Overall functions –
They regulate the intensity and duration of immune response by –

1. Stimulating or,
2. Inhibiting
 The ACTIVATION, PROLIFERATION, AND/OR DIFFERENTIATION of various target
cells and by regulating the secretion of Ab and other cytokines.

Attributes of cytokines –
1. Pleiotropy – A given cytokine has DIFFERENT BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS ON DIFFERENT
target cell.
2. Redundancy – TWO OR MORE cytokines have SIMILAR function.
3. Synergy – COMBINED effects of TWO cytokines is GREATER than the additive effects of
individual cytokines.
4. Antagonism – The effect of ONE cytokine INHIBITS the effect of ANOTHER cytokine.
5. Cascade induction – action of one cytokine on a target cell induces that cell to produce one
or more cytokines, which in turn may induce other target cell to produce other cytokines.

Different names and definitions –

Lymphokines – Cytokines secreted by lymphocytes (former name).

Monokines – Cytokines secreted by monocytes and macrophages.

Both these terms are misleading because cytokines are not only produced by lymphocytes and
monocytes.

Interleukin – Many cytokines are referred to as interleukin (IL), which means cytokines secreted
by some leukocytes and act upon other leukocytes. IL from 1-25 have been identified.

Chemokines - A group of low molecular weight cytokines that affect CHEMOTAXIS and OTHER
LEIKOCYTE BEHAVIOUR.
Some cytokines are known by common names like – INTERFERONS (IFN) and TUMOR
NECROSIS FACTOR (TNF).

Discovery –
The activity of cytokines was first identified on mid-1960s.

It was identified in SUPERNATANTS derived from INVITRO CULTURES OF LYMPHOCYTES,

which were found to contain FACTORS that REGULATE

PROLIFERATION

DIFFERENTIATION and

MATURATION

of allogenic immune system cell. Later on, it was discovered that PRODUCTION of these factors
by cultured lymphocytes was INDUCED by ACTIVATION with ANTIGENS.

Families of cytokines –

Cytokines belong to ONE of FOUR groups –

1. Hematopoietin family
2. Interferon family
3. Chemokine family
4. Tumor necrosis factor family.