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* From the Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI.
Correspondence to: Steven L. Kunkel, PhD, Professor, Department of Pathology, 1301 Catherine Rd, Box 0602, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0602; e-mail: slkunkel{at}umich.edu
Abstract
The pathogenesis
of end-stage, chronic lung disease is thought to be characterized by an
initial inflammatory response followed by fibroproliferation and
deposition of extracellular matrix. Many of these chronic lung
disorders share a variety of common properties, including an unknown
etiology, undefined mechanisms of initiation and maintenance, and
progressive fibrosis. Unfortunately, efficacious therapeutic options
are not readily available for the treatment of many chronic lung
diseases, which may reflect the limited scientific and mechanistic
understanding of these disorders. However, recent studies have shown
that cytokine networks are likely operative in dictating the
progression of these diseases, as these mediators can influence
fibroblast activation, proliferation, and collagen deposition during
the maintenance of chronic fibrotic lung disease. Accumulating data
support the concept that the specific cytokine phenotype may provide a
fundamental mechanism for the regulation or continuation of the
fibrotic process. For example, interferon-
appears to suppresses
fibroblast activities, such as proliferation and collagen production,
while interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 can augment fibroblast growth and
collagen production. Interestingly, these mediators are prototypic
cytokines that functionally define either a type-1 or a type-2 immune
response. Thus, experimental models of cell-mediated lung inflammation,
which are characterized by either a type-1 or a type-2 response, will
be useful in delineating the mechanisms that either maintain or resolve
chronic lung inflammation and accompanying fibrosis.
Key Words: chemoattractant protein chemokines cytokines experimental models fibrosis interferon-
interleukin-4 interleukin-12 interleukin-13 monocyte chemoattractant protein
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