Author/Editor		Wraber, Branka
Title		Citokini v kliniki - koristna informacija ali podatek odveč
Translated title		Cytokines in clinical application - usefull or useless information
Type		članek
Source		Med Razgl
Vol. and No.		Letnik 37, št. Suppl 5
Publication year		1998
Volume		str. 39-46
Language		slo
Abstract		Nearly all cells of multicellular organisms produce and secrete cytokines. These are soluble hormone-like glycoproteins which play a pivotal role in signal transduction among the cells, with emphatic importance to the immune system. Cytokines are part of the biological response to noxious agents. During the evolutionary process they developed as a part of the defence mechanisms against parasites, including bacteria and viruses. They act via complicated interactions known as the cytokine network. Their primary function is the regulation of immune resonse from the beginning to the effector phase. The main source of cytokines are immune cells. Antigen presenting cells produce proinflammatory cytokines which, besides their beneficial role in defence mechanisms, may cause tissue and organ damage to the host. APC also secrete regulatory cytokines, which are known to maintain the balance between Th1 and Th2 cytokines produced by activated T lymphocytes. This balance is essential for an efficient defence against noxious agents. The alterations in Th1/Th2 balance often underlie the changes in immune system responses. Our experiences with measurement of cytokines in different diseases is that proinflammatory cytokine response in similar circumstances might be either eruptive or weak without knowing be either eruptive or weak without knowing the exact regulatory mechanisms. The same is observed in Th1/Th2 response. At the moment cytokines are the subject of many clinical investigations directed toward the possibilities of cytokine therapy, looking for appropriate markers of the diseases, and understanding the action of the cytokine network in different pathological conditions.
Summary		V večceličnem organizmu skoraj vsi tipi celic izločajo citokine. To so topni, hormonom podobni glikoproteini, ki so ključnega pomena za prenos signala od celice do celice, težišče njihovega delovanja pa je imunski sistem. Citokini so del biološkega odziva na različne škodljive dejavnike. Skozi evolucijo so se razvili v okviru obrambnih procesov pred paraziti, vključno z bakterijami in virusi. Delujejo v zapletenih medsebojnih povezavah, ki jih imenujemo citokinski splet. Uravnavajo imunski odziv od začetka do efektorske faze. Glavni izvor citokinov so imunske celice. Antigen predstavitvene celice izločajo vnetne citokine, ki imajo poleg obrambne funkcije tudi Škodljivo delovanje in lahko povzročajo okvare tkiva in organov v gostitelju. Antigen predstativene celice izločajo tudi regulatorne citokine. Ti uravnavajo razmerje med citokini, ki so značilni za celice Tipa Th1 in Th2 in jih izločajo limfociti T po aktivaciji z antigenom. To razmerje je pomembno za učinkovito obrambo, odmik v eno ali drugo smer pa je pogosto povezan s spremenjenim delovanjem imunskega sistema. Naše izkušnje z merjenjem citokinov pri različnih boleznih kažejo, da je vnetni citokinski odziv v podobnih okoliščinah ali zelo močan, ali pa razmeroma blag, vendar ni jasno, kateri dejavniki na to vplivajo. Podobno raznolikost opažamo tudi pri merjenju odziva Th1 oziroma Th2. V tem trenutku so citokini predmet mnogih kliničnih raziskav, ki so usmerjene v zdravljenje s citokini, v iskanje primernih kazalcev za potek in izid bolezni, in v tudi razumevanje delovanja ditokinskega spleta pri raznih boleznih.
Descriptors		CYTOKINES IMMUNE SYSTEM INFECTION IMMUNOLOGIC TESTS