Editing Cytokine (section)

==Roles in health and disease==
Cytokines are involved in several developmental processes during [[embryonic development]].<ref name="pmid11600175">{{cite journal | vauthors = Saito S | title = Cytokine cross-talk between mother and the embryo/placenta | journal = J. Reprod. Immunol. | volume = 52 | issue = 1–2 | pages = 15–33 | date = 2001 | pmid = 11600175 | doi = 10.1016/S0165-0378(01)00112-7}}</ref><ref group="nb">Saito explains "much evidence has suggested that cytokines and chemokines play a very important role in the reproduction, i.e. embryo implantation, endometrial development, and trophoblast growth and differentiation by modulating the immune and endocrine systems."(15)</ref><ref name="pmid10521116">{{cite journal | vauthors = Chen HF, Shew JY, Ho HN, Hsu WL, Yang YS | title = Expression of leukemia inhibitory factor and its receptor in preimplantation embryos | journal = Fertil. Steril. | volume = 72 | issue = 4 | pages = 713–719 | date = October 1999 | pmid = 10521116 | doi = 10.1016/S0015-0282(99)00306-4 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref group="nb">Chen explains the regulatory activity of [[Leukemia inhibitory factor|LIF]] in human and murine embryos: "In conclusion, human preimplantation embryos express LIF and LIF-R mRNA. The expression of these transcripts indicates that preimplantation embryos may be responsive to LIF originating either from the surrounding environment or from the embryos themselves and exerting its function in a paracrine or autocrine manner." (719)</ref> Cytokines are released from the [[blastocyst]], and are also expressed in the [[endometrium]], and have critical roles in the stages of [[zona hatching]], and [[implantation (embryology)|implantation]].<ref name="Seshagiri">{{cite journal |last1=Seshagiri |first1=Polani B. |last2=Vani |first2=Venkatappa |last3=Madhulika |first3=Pathak |title=Cytokines and Blastocyst Hatching |journal=American Journal of Reproductive Immunology |pages=208–217 |language=en |doi=10.1111/aji.12464 |date=March 2016|volume=75 |issue=3 |pmid=26706391 |s2cid=11540123 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Cytokines are crucial for fighting off infections and in other immune responses.<ref name="pmid10936147">{{cite journal | vauthors = Dinarello CA | title = Proinflammatory cytokines | journal = Chest | volume = 118 | issue = 2 | pages = 503–508 | date = August 2000 | pmid = 10936147 | doi = 10.1378/chest.118.2.503 }}</ref> However, they can become dysregulated and pathological in [[inflammation]], trauma, [[sepsis]],<ref name="pmid10936147" /> and [[hemorrhagic stroke]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Zhu H, Wang Z, Yu J, et al. | s2cid = 85495400 | title = Role and mechanisms of cytokines in the secondary brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage | journal = Prog. Neurobiol. | volume = 178 | pages = 101610 | date = March 2019 | pmid = 30923023 | doi = 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2019.03.003 }}</ref> Dysregulated cytokine secretion in the aged population can lead to [[inflammaging]], and render these individuals more vulnerable to age-related diseases like neurodegenerative diseases and type 2 diabetes.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Franceschi |first1=C. |last2=Bonafè |first2=M. |last3=Valensin |first3=S. |last4=Olivieri |first4=F. |last5=De Luca |first5=M. |last6=Ottaviani |first6=E. |last7=De Benedictis |first7=G. |date=June 2000 |title=Inflamm-aging. An evolutionary perspective on immunosenescence |journal=Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences |volume=908 |issue=1 |pages=244–254 |doi=10.1111/j.1749-6632.2000.tb06651.x|issn=0077-8923 |pmid=10911963 |bibcode=2000NYASA.908..244F |s2cid=1843716}}</ref>

A 2019 review was inconclusive as to whether cytokines play any definitive role in [[ME/CFS]].<ref>{{Cite journal|title=A systematic review of cytokines in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis/systemic exertion intolerance disease (CFS/ME/SEID)|first1=Matthew|last1=Corbitt|first2=Natalie|last2=Eaton-Fitch|first3=Donald|last3=Staines|first4=Hélène|last4=Cabanas|first5=Sonya|last5=Marshall-Gradisnik|date=24 August 2019|journal=BMC Neurology|volume=19|issue=1|pages=207|doi=10.1186/s12883-019-1433-0|doi-access=free |pmid=31445522|pmc=6708220}}</ref>

A 2024 study found a positive correlation between plasma interleukin [[interleukin 2|IL-2]] and fatigue in patients with type 1 [[narcolepsy]].<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Association between cytokines and fatigue in patients with type 1 narcolepsy |first1=Qiao|last1=Yang|first2=Qiong|last2=Wu|first3=Qinqin|last3=Zhan|first4=Liying|last4=Deng|first5=Yongmin|last5=Ding|first6=Fen|last6=Wang|first7=Jin|last7=Chen|first8=Liang|last8=Xie|date=February 2024|journal=Journal of Clinical Neuroscience|volume=120|issue=1|pages=102|doi=10.1016/j.jocn.2024.01.007|doi-access= |pmid= |pmc= }}</ref>

Autoantibodies against cytokines also plays a role in health and disease. In 2020 neutralizing autoantibodies against type I interferons were reported in 10.2% of patients with life-threatening COVID-19.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bastard |first=Paul |last2=Rosen |first2=Lindsey B. |last3=Zhang |first3=Qian |last4=Michailidis |first4=Eleftherios |last5=Hoffmann |first5=Hans-Heinrich |last6=Zhang |first6=Yu |last7=Dorgham |first7=Karim |last8=Philippot |first8=Quentin |last9=Rosain |first9=Jérémie |last10=Béziat |first10=Vivien |last11=Manry |first11=Jérémy |last12=Shaw |first12=Elana |last13=Haljasmägi |first13=Liis |last14=Peterson |first14=Pärt |last15=Lorenzo |first15=Lazaro |date=2020-10-23 |title=Autoantibodies against type I IFNs in patients with life-threatening COVID-19 |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abd4585 |journal=Science |language=en |volume=370 |issue=6515 |doi=10.1126/science.abd4585 |issn=0036-8075 |pmc=7857397 |pmid=32972996}}</ref>

In March 2025, researchers in Saudi Arabia showed that those who received mRNA COVID vaccines elevated cytokine levels one year after the vaccination, and the immune responses differed between gender and age groups. The vaccination resulted in significant increases in inflammatory markers: [[interferon gamma]](INF gamma, p=0.005), [[tumor necrosis factor alpha]](TNF alpha, p<0.001), interleukin-6(IL6, p=0.003), monocyte chemoattractants(MCP1, p=0.03, MCP3, p=0.001) and so on. Bigger changes in IL6, IL4 and TNF alpha were observed by men than women -- and significant changes in epidermal growth factor(EGF), IL6, MCP1, and TNF alpha were seen in adults compared to adolescents. The study suggested that the elevation was linked to the persistent production of spike protein and highly inflammatory nature of mRNA-nanoparticles.<ref>{{cite journal 
| title = Altered Circulating Cytokine Profile Among mRNA-Vaccinated Young Adults: A Year-Long Follow-Up Study
| journal = Immunty, Inflammation and Disease
| date = 2025 
| doi = 10.1002/iid3.70194
| vauthors = ((A. Alghamdi, et. al.)) 
| pmc = 11980434
}}
</ref>