Proinflammatory Cytokines in Allergic Disease

Amid the complex regulatory network of cytokines that produce the phenotype of allergic inflammation, there are processes that depend heavily on the participation of cytokines that are not specific to the allergic process. An example of this is the role of proinflammatory cytokines in allergic inflammation. These cytokines can be produced by allergen-specific or immunoglobulin E (IgE)-dependent mechanisms, and they play a key role in allergic inflammation. Similarly, many of the small-molecular-weight chemokines participate in allergic inflammation. The chemokines are of great interest because of their potent and selective chemoattractant properties, which make them likely candidates for regulating cellular influx into sites of allergic inflammation.