Abstract

GONZALEZ ALVAREZ, Ricardo; ZAMORA RODRIGUEZ, Zullyt  and  ALONSO, Yaima. Inflammatory cytokines and their actions and effects in the sepsis and septic shock . Rev Cubana Invest Bioméd [online]. 2007, vol.26, n.4, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3011.

The actions and biological effects that the pro-inflammatory cytokines exert, as well as the role they play in the evolution of sepsis and of its most severe complication, the septic shock, both in humans and in experimental animal models, developed in order to clarify the complex pathogenic mechanisms taking place, were exposed. This makes possible the development of new drugs and other effective and safe therapeutical procedures for the treatment of a severe disease causing a high morbidity and mortality at the world level. The complex interactions occurring among the diverse pro-inflammatory cytokines were stressed, as well as their interactions with other mediators of the so-called systemic inflammatory response. The dual behaviour of the actions of some cytokines occasionally carriers of opposed effects, as well as their actions depending on the period of time in which they were administered, were emphasized. Another significant characteristic was that they frequently varied, and that there was no correspondence between the results of the effects of the cytokines in humans and those obtained in the experimental animal models with septic and endotoxic shock.

Keywords : Septic shock; cytokines; mediators; inflammation.

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