Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2010; 58(8): 443-449
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1250436
Review

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Interleukin-33, a Novel Member of the IL-1/IL-18 Cytokine Family, in Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery

P. Kunes1 , Z. Holubcova1 , M. Kolackova2 , J. Krejsek2
  • 1Department of Cardiac Surgery, Charles University in Prague, School of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
  • 2Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology, Charles University in Prague, School of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
Further Information

Publication History

received April 22, 2010

Publication Date:
26 November 2010 (online)

Abstract

Interleukin-33 is a newly recognized cytokine of the IL-1 family. Unlike its other members IL-1α, IL-1β and IL-18, interleukin-33 induces predominantly Th2-skewed immune responses. In this context, the effects of IL-33 are mostly anti-inflammatory. However, depending on the actual cytokine and cellular milieu, IL-33 can promote both Th1 and Th2 immune reactions. Most importantly for cardiology and cardiac surgery, IL-33 has emerged to represent the as yet unknown ligand of the orphan receptor ST2. Before the advent of IL-33, the ST2 receptor, currently recognized as the soluble one of its two isoforms, was considered to be an unfavorable prognostic marker in myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure and trauma/sepsis shock patients. Now we know that IL-33, when bound to the cellular membrane-anchored ST2L isoform of the receptor, can have certain beneficial effects on the aforementioned conditions. Various forms of IL-33 interaction with the respective isoforms of its cognate receptor are discussed here. The focus is on physiological and prognostic values in cardiac patients.

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Addendum

Since ST2/IL33 is an extraordinarily vast topic which extends into virtually all fields of contemporary medicine, ours is only a modest contribution designed to offer a basic up-to-date overview to the cardiac surgeon who, as we know from our own experience, is an extremely busy man or woman. This theme may be promising for the future, just as it may prove to be a blind alley. Personally, we believe the former. Due to the constraints of time and space, we were not able to treat the topic in full length or to exploit all the available relevant literature. For the interested reader, we have included some of the latest reviews and papers of extraordinary quality. Other papers will undoubtedly follow. Whether they will be directed predominantly at immunologists or also at cardiologists/cardiac surgeons is hard to tell. Owing to the fact that immunology and molecular biology affect all medical fields, we hope that the time spent in reading this article will not be “le temps perdu”.

Additional Reading

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  • 51 Kakkar R, Lee R T. Intramyocardial fibroblast myocyte communication.  Circ Res. 2010;  106 45-57

Prof. Jan Krejsek

Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology
Charles University in Prague, School of Medicine in Hradec Kralove
University Hospital

Sokolska St. 581

500 05 Hradec Kralove

Czech Republic

Phone: +42 04 95 83 34 54

Fax: +42 04 95 83 20 15

Email: krejsek@fnhk.cz