Interleukin-10: Structure and Function

This book examines the structure and the in vitro and in vivo biological characterization of a recently discovered cytokine: interleukin - 10 (IL-10). The information collected in this volume is a state-of-the-art summary of the pleiotropic effects of IL-10 in vitro and in vivo and significantly contributes to our understanding of the role of IL-10 in the immune system and its potential clinical utility in the near future. Section 1: describes the characterization of the structure of the IL-1O cDNAs, IL-10 genes, IL-1O proteins and IL-10 receptors. Section 2 reviews the in vitro biological effects of IL-10 on both mouse and human lymphoid as well as myeloid cells. Includes discussions regarding the role of IL-10 in transplantation, parasite infections, inflammation, infectious diseases and bone formation. Section 3 examines the effects of IL-1O in vivo and the capacity of IL-10 to prevent lethal toxic shock in mice.