[Chemokine (RANTES, eotaxin, etc.)].

Chemokine is the general term for the cytokines that possess chemotactic activity for leukocytes. The chemokines, secreted 8-10 kD proteins, active and attract leukocytes to inflammatory foci through binding to specific G protein-coupled seven transmembrane-spanning cell surface receptors. Two subfamilies, CXC and CC chemokines, are distinguished according to the position of the first two cysteines, which may be either separated by one amino acid or adjacent. The CXC chemokine family mainly have chemotactic activity for neutrophils. Since RANTES and eotaxin, which are CC chemokines, have chemotactic activity on eosinophils, these substance are considered to play a key role in allergic inflammation. Moreover, RANTES and eotaxin are considered to be closely related to not only chemotaxis but also activation of eosinophils such as degranulation, oxidative metabolism and adherence.