Der Anaesthesist
-
Cytokines are a heterogeneous group of polypeptides that were originally described to mediate activation of the immune system and inflammatory responses. Most of them have meanwhile been shown to be also produced by and act on the peripheral and central nervous system. There is ample evidence from experimental studies that proinflammatory cytokines induce or increase neuropathic pain as well as inflammatory pain. ⋯ Studies with cytokine knock-out animals often lead to different results from the pharmacological studies. This is in part due to compensatory mechanisms in the animals combined with the high redundancy of the cytokine system. Preliminary data from human studies are encouraging insofar as in the future, cytokine inhibition may add to the panel of treatment modalities for neuropathic pain.
-
Review Comparative Study
[Crystalloid versus colloid. A never ending story?].