ABSTRACT
Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is one of the best-established model diseases for T cell-mediated immune responses. Besides the important role that T cells play in the initiation and maintenance of this immune response, cytokines have been shown to be important mediators of the inflammatory process. Some of them, such as interleukin (IL)-l |3 and tumor necrosis factor (TN F)-a, are essential mediators in the induction process of ACD. The lack of these factors resulted in the failure to initiate ACD reactions. Others, such as IL-1 2 or IL-18, are important factors in the differentiation of the T cell response, governing the development of interferon (IFN)-y-producing C D 8 + T cells as major effector cells for ACD. IL-10 or cytokine synthesis inhibitory factor has been shown to be an important regulatory factor for ACD. Production of IL-10 at later stages of ACD-development has been linked to couterregulatory processes resulting in the induction of e.g., regulatory T cells. It will be the goal of this chapter to summarize and evaluate current knowledge on the role of these cytokines in ACD.
