[Chemokine RANTES activity and its potential role as a target for diagnosis and therapy].

This review introduces the chemokine RANTES, its role in the pathophysiology of disease and potential as a target for therapy. We present cell types which are the source of RANTES, specific chemokine receptors and the role of chemokine in regulating the movement of cells into the tissues during inflammation. Also opinions on mechanisms regulating the chemokine secretion by inflammatory cytokines were discussed. Chemokine RANTES is strongly induced by viral and bacterial infections and plays a role in allergic diseases, in asthma exacerbation, interstitial pneumonia, in allograft rejection and in cancers. This chemokine may represent target for diagnostic procedures and therapeutic intervention, and may be useful as a prognostic factor in cancer.