PROINFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES AND PHAGOCYTIC- CELLS

Among the numerous mediators involved in the development of anti-infec tious and proinflammatory activities of phagocytic cells, proinflammat ory cytokines play a pivotal role. It is important to stress that thes e proinflammatory cytokines could be produced by a wide variety of cel lular sources and trigger pleotropic effects on several cellular targe ts involved in the development of the inflammatory and immune response . However, mononuclear phagocytes, and especially monocytes/macrophage s represent the major source of cytokines such as IL-1, TNF, IL-6, GM- CSF and IL-8. Most of these cytokines are susceptible to regulate mult iple functions of the neutrophil, the effector cell initiating the inf lammatory process and responsible for microbicidal activity. The neutr ophil functions regulated by proinflammatory cytokines include adheren ce to the endothelium, chemotaxis, phagocytosis, oxidative burst and d egranulation. A better knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the reg ulation of the proinflammatory cytokines/phagocytic celles interaction s would allow the development of immuno-intervention strategies design ed to limit the deleterious and proinflammatory effects of phagocytes, but at the same time, preserving their essential role in host resista nce against pathogens.