De Bosscher Karolien, Vanden Berghe Wim, Haegeman Guy
Department of Molecular Biology, Ghent University, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
Endocr Rev. 2003 Aug;24(4):488-522. doi: 10.1210/er.2002-0006.
The inflammatory response is a highly regulated physiological process that is critically important for homeostasis. A precise physiological control of inflammation allows a timely reaction to invading pathogens or to other insults without causing overreaction liable to damage the host. The cellular signaling pathways identified as important regulators of inflammation are the signal transduction cascades mediated by the nuclear factor-kappaB and the activator protein-1, which can both be modulated by glucocorticoids. Their use in the clinic includes treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, allograft rejection, and allergic skin diseases. Although glucocorticoids have been widely used since the late 1940s, the molecular mechanisms responsible for their antiinflammatory activity are still under investigation. The various molecular pathways proposed so far are discussed in more detail.
炎症反应是一个高度调节的生理过程，对体内平衡至关重要。对炎症进行精确的生理控制可使机体对入侵病原体或其他损伤及时做出反应，而不会引发易于损害宿主的过度反应。被确定为炎症重要调节因子的细胞信号通路是由核因子-κB和活化蛋白-1介导的信号转导级联反应，二者均可被糖皮质激素调节。它们在临床上的应用包括治疗类风湿性关节炎、哮喘、同种异体移植排斥反应和过敏性皮肤病。尽管自20世纪40年代末以来糖皮质激素已被广泛使用，但其抗炎活性的分子机制仍在研究中。目前提出的各种分子途径将进行更详细的讨论。
