Cytokines and autoimmunity

SUMMARY Although the immunopathology of most autoimmune diseases has been well defined, the mechanisms responsible for the breakdown of self‐tolerance and which lead to the development of systematic and organ‐specific autoaggression are still unclear. Evidence has accumulated which supports a role f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inClinical and experimental immunology Vol. 96; no. 1; pp. 1 - 7
Main Authors CAVALLO, M. G., POZZILLI, P., THORPE, R.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.04.1994
Blackwell
Subjects
Animals
autoimmune
Autoimmune Diseases - immunology
Autoimmune Diseases - therapy
Autoimmunity
Autoimmunity (experimental aspects and models)
Biological and medical sciences
cytokine
cytokines
Cytokines - physiology
diseases
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Fundamental immunology
Gene Expression Regulation
Humans
inhibitors
Major Histocompatibility Complex
Autoimmunity
Human
Immunopathology
Immune response
Pathogenesis
Cytokine
Autoimmune disease
Immune regulation
Review
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Summary:SUMMARY Although the immunopathology of most autoimmune diseases has been well defined, the mechanisms responsible for the breakdown of self‐tolerance and which lead to the development of systematic and organ‐specific autoaggression are still unclear. Evidence has accumulated which supports a role for a disregulated production of cytokines by leucocytes and possibly other cells in the pathogenesis of some autoimmune diseases. However, due to the complexity and heterogeneity of cytokine effects in the regulation of the immune response, it is difficult to determine whether abnormalities in the patterns of cytokine production are primary or secondary to the pathological process. Confusion is also caused by the fact that the biological activities of cytokines are multiple and often overlapping, and consequently it is difficult to focus on a unique effect of any one cytokine. Characterization of the potential and actual involvement of cytokines is important not only for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of autoimmune conditions, but particularly because of the implications for the development of immunotherapeutic strategies for the prevention and treatment of the diseases.
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ISSN:0009-9104
1365-2249
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2249.1994.tb06220.x