The regulation of IL-10 production by immune cells

Abstract
Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is not a cell type-specific cytokine, but instead it is broadly expressed by many immune cells. Several layers of regulation regulate IL-10 production, including changes in the chromatin structure, enhancement or silencing of IL10 transcription and post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms. Many of the molecular events leading to IL10 expression are similar and common to various IL-10-producing immune cells, but cell type-specific signals also exist. Induction of IL-10 often occurs together with pro-inflammatory cytokines, although pathways that induce IL-10 may actually negatively regulate these pro-inflammatory cytokines. Understanding the specific molecular events that regulate the expression of IL-10 will be important for the design of new strategies of immune intervention.