Cytokines, or the communication system inside our body

We rarely think about what actually happens in our body when we have a cold, for example: why do we have a fever, how the inflammation of the throat, for example, develops, and what makes us eventually heal. The key to answering all of these questions is cytokines, which are proteins that different parts of the immune system use to communicate with each other.

What exactly are cytokines?

In short, the mechanism of action of cytokines is as follows: some cells of the immune system (lymphocytes, monocytes and macrophages) in contact with an antigen (the factor causing the body’s immune response) secrete cytokines. These are proteins that stimulate other cells of the immune system to react in a certain way. Depending on the function, cytokines can be classified as follows:

  1. Interlukins, i.e. cytokines responsible for communication between leukocytes. There are about 25 of them, we denote them with the abbreviation “IL” and a number, e.g. IL-1, L-6, IL-18 etc.
  2. Hemopoietic cytokines stimulate the multiplication of blood cells: granulocytes, macrophages, erythrocytes and others.
  3. Interferons are five cytokines that are involved in the body’s defense against viruses.
  4. TNF molecules (Tumor Necrosis Factor). They mediate the immune response to certain factors, including cancer, but are also associated with conditions such as septic shock and transplant rejection.

There are also other cytokines that do not match this division. An important cytokine among these is, for example, TGFβ, a transforming growth factor with an inhibitory effect on other cytokines.

The above division is not the only one possible due to the complicated structure and operation of cytokines. In fact, it is extremely difficult to create a completely consistent breakdown of all of the more than 100 known cytokines to date.

How do cytokines work?

Contrary to appearances, cytokines are not only used to stimulate immune cells to specific actions, although this is an important part of their tasks – for example, the cytokine IL-6 is crucial for the development of inflammatory processes in the body. Professionally, however, the following cytokine activity profiles are discussed:

  1. pleiotropicity – the same cytokine affects different types of cells in a different way,
  2. redundancy – action of various cytokines in the same way on given cells,
  3. synergy – mutual strengthening of each other’s action by cytokines,
  4. antagonism – weakening the action of one cytokine by another,
  5. feedback – cytokines can stimulate cells to produce other cytokines that stimulate or inhibit the secretion of the former, thus regulating their concentration in the body.

Cytokines in human health

As already mentioned, cytokines form a complex system that plays a key role in the immune response of the human body. They can cause an inflammatory reaction, change the rate of metabolism in the body, and even affect a person’s mood or make him sleepy.

Unfortunately, the complexity of the interconnection system formed by cytokines makes it susceptible to disorders. Inadequate levels of certain cytokines are believed to be associated with the occurrence of many autoimmune diseases. The study of cytokines and their level in the blood is carried out in the diagnosis of many diseases, including:

  1. Hashimoto’s disease and other thyroid disorders,
  2. rheumatoid arthritis,
  3. chronic fatigue and “brain fog”, i.e. mind fogging,
  4. depression and other disorders of the mind and cognitive processes.

Restoring the balance of cytokines is extremely difficult due to the sensitivity of the entire system to disturbances. Interference with the concentration of some cytokines can cause abnormalities in others, which will have an even worse effect on the health of the patient. Therefore, the effects of over- or under-secretion of cytokines are usually mitigated without attempting to influence the cause itself.

It is believed that the proper balance of cytokines in the body is primarily influenced by a balanced and varied diet. Abnormalities in the secretion of cytokines are most often related to nutritional deficiencies.

Cytokines and pregnancy

Inappropriate levels of some interlukins and TNF can lead to a risk of pregnancy, including miscarriage. For this reason, specialized tests of the concentration of these cytokines are often ordered in patients who have experienced repeated miscarriages.

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