Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun biochemistry Any of a group of cytokine proteins important in the regulation of lymphocyte function.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun any of several lymphokines that promote macrophages and killer T cells and B cells and other components of the immune system

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Mice exposed to pollution showed a 15-fold increase in interleukin-6 just 24 hours later.

    Air Pollution Triggers Blood Clots | Impact Lab 2007

  • Kaptoge S, Mann AG, Sarwar N, Wood A, et al. (2008) Long-term interleukin-6 levels and subsequent risk of coronary heart disease: two new prospective studies and a systematic review.

    PLoS Medicine: New Articles Naveed Sattar et al. 2009

  • Specifically, the researchers found that retinoic acid, a form of vitamin A, seems to work together with high levels of a pro-inflammatory substance known as interleukin-15 IL-15 to break the body's tolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.

    Mouse study suggests new clues to celiac disease 2011

  • It's well known that sleep is induced by an immune "expression," or a cytokine, called interleukin-2, which happens in response to the LPS put off by our gut bacteria.

    T.S. Wiley: Can Sleep Loss Destroy Your Immune System? 2010

  • It's well known that sleep is induced by an immune "expression," or a cytokine, called interleukin-2, which happens in response to the LPS put off by our gut bacteria.

    T.S. Wiley: Can Sleep Loss Destroy Your Immune System? 2010

  • A flu infection stimulates the release of an immune system protein called interleukin-6, which in normal amounts helps the immune system do its job.

    Flu during pregnancy raises risk of schizophrenia Field Notes 2009

  • A flu infection stimulates the release of an immune system protein called interleukin-6, which in normal amounts helps the immune system do its job.

    Archive 2009-04-01 Field Notes 2009

  • Unlike existing drugs, it blocks a protein called interleukin-6, making it an option for the patients who don't respond to other treatments.

    Drugs With Market Potential 2008

  • A roughly similar result was seen when part of the sequence of a small bacterial protein was randomized to generate a library containing about forty million members, and when a library of fifty million artificial “minibodies” was probed for binding to a protein called interleukin Nord, K., Gunneriusson, E., Uhlen, M., and Nygren, P.

    The Edge of Evolution Michael J. Behe 2007

  • A roughly similar result was seen when part of the sequence of a small bacterial protein was randomized to generate a library containing about forty million members, and when a library of fifty million artificial “minibodies” was probed for binding to a protein called interleukin Nord, K., Gunneriusson, E., Uhlen, M., and Nygren, P.

    The Edge of Evolution Michael J. Behe 2007

Comments

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  • With thanks to sionnach for the suggestion! "Noun. Any of a class of cytokines that act to stimulate, regulate, or modulate lymphocytes such as T cells."

    October 28, 2007