Adaptive and innate immune modulators of inflammation and autoimmunity.

Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The association of specific major histocompatibility complex (MHC) alleles with susceptibility to particular autoimmune diseases is well known, although the mechanistic aspects of this link are not fully unraveled yet. Furthermore, the prevalence of many autoimmune diseases is much higher in females than in males. Intensive efforts are currently being directed to defining the role of sex hormones, the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, and other modifying factors in this sexual dimorphism. Among the environmental factors, emerging understanding of the interplay between the gut microbiota and the immune system has opened up a new frontier of biomedical research with a renewed perspective of host-environment interactions. In addition, besides specific T helper subsets and their cytokine products, the roles of the scavenger receptors, the inflammasome, the newer cytokines of the IL-1 (e.g., IL-33, IL-37) and IL-12 (e.g., IL-27, IL-35) families, and the soluble mediators produced by adipocytes (adipokines) (e.g., leptin, adiponectin) in the pathogenesis of inflammation, autoimmunity, and metabolic disorders are increasingly being realized. In this special issue, "Cytokines in Immune Pathology and Therapy," second volume, leading experts have shared their research work and perspectives on the above-mentioned cytokines and other modulators of inflammation and autoimmunity. An outline of 15 articles in volume 2 is presented here. Volume 1 of this special issue containing 14 articles was published recently.