The Cytokine Network in Chronic Asthma

Airway macrophages may be an important source of first wave cytokines, such as II l, TNFa and IL-6, 

Cytokines may exert an important regulatory effect on the expression of adhesion molecules, both on endothelial cells of the bronchial circulation and on airway epithelial cells. Thus IL-4 increases the expression of VCAM-1 on endothelial cells and this may be important in eosinophil and lymphocyte trafficking (Schleimer etal., 1992), and II l and TNFa increase the expression of ICAM-1 in both vascular endothelium and airway epithelium (Tosi etal., 1992). 

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