Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Cytokines and their receptors
Introduction
Cytokines and their receptors [e.g., interleukin (IL)-1R, T1/ST2 (a member of the IL-1R family), IL-1Ra, IL-6, IL-18, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1] are part of the inflammatory cascade and have been shown to be associated with a worse prognosis in ACS.(1-5)
In addition, certain molecules are known to initiate apoptosis, or programmed cell death [e.g., the Fas ligand, tumor necrosis factor, and the aspartate-specific cysteinyl proteases or caspases] while others may protect against ischemia/reperfusion injury-triggered apoptosis (e.g., heat shock proteins).(6-10)
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]