CYTOKINES AND HEMOKINES IN THE ASTHMA

The cytokines are regulatory proteins of low molecular weight whose role is ininter-cellular communication. They exhibit the following characteristics: pleitropisni,svnergism, anfagonism, redundancy, as wcll as autocrine, paracrine andendocrine action. The activity of one cylokine can start the release of anothercytokine. Since the asthma is an immunological discases the cytokines have a uniquerole in regulating the inflammatory process induced in the lungs. Various cytokinesac! in acomplex network an that is crucial for determining the nature and the chronicoccurrence of an asthmatic inflammatory process. The Th2 lymphocytes do asynihesisof II-4,II-5,II-9, II-10,II-13 and GM-CSF involved in the process of joiningthe B-ceils immunoglobulin isotype with the SgE production, maintain the Th2 cellpopulation with increased cylokines' production encoded by the so-called II-4 geneticgroup as well as attraction and proiongation of the cell mast, basophils and eosinophils'survival. The hemokines are small proteins classified into four subclasses,namely CC, CXC, C and Cx3C on the basis of the first two cysteine position in theirsequences. The members of the CC subclass lead 1o attraction and activation ofbasophits, eosinophils, monocytes and T-lymphocytcs as well as degranulation ofbasophils and cell mast independently of the IgE mechanism.