Alternative activation of macrophages

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 macrop...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNature reviews. Immunology Vol. 3; no. 1; pp. 23 - 35
Main Author Gordon, Siamon
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England Nature Publishing Group 01.01.2003
Subjects
Animals
Antibody Formation - immunology
Antigens
Cell Differentiation - immunology
Chemokines
Chemokines - immunology
Cytokines
Heterogeneity
Humans
Interleukin-13 - immunology
Interleukin-4 - immunology
Ligands
Macrophage Activation - immunology
Mice
Pathogens
Th2 Cells - immunology
Tuberculosis
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Summary: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.
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ISSN:1474-1733
1474-1741
DOI:10.1038/nri978