IL-10: the Master Regulator of Immunity to Infection

Overview

Journal J Immunol

Specialty Allergy & Immunology

Date 2008 Apr 22

PMID 18424693

Citations 1008

Authors

Kevin N Couper

Daniel G Blount

Eleanor M Riley

Affiliations

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Abstract

IL-10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine. During infection it inhibits the activity of Th1 cells, NK cells, and macrophages, all of which are required for optimal pathogen clearance but also contribute to tissue damage. In consequence, IL-10 can both impede pathogen clearance and ameliorate immunopathology. Many different types of cells can produce IL-10, with the major source of IL-10 varying in different tissues or during acute or chronic stages of the same infection. The priming of these various IL-10-producing populations during infections is not well understood and it is not clear whether the cellular source of IL-10 during infection dictates its cellular target and thus its outcome. In this article we review the biology of IL-10, its cellular sources, and its role in viral, bacterial, and protozoal infections.

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