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Updated: May 28, 2026

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Published on: May 10, 2022
CD163 and its role in inflammation
Krzysztof Kowal1, Richard Silver, Emila Sławińska
1Department of Allergology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland. kowalkmd@umwb.edu.pl
Insights
CD163 is a marker on anti-inflammatory monocytes/macrophages. Its expression is regulated by inflammatory mediators, suggesting CD163 is a potential therapeutic target for modulating inflammatory responses.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Mononuclear phagocytes are diverse, with subpopulations having distinct pro- or anti-inflammatory roles.
- CD163 is a specific marker for monocytes and macrophages with significant anti-inflammatory properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of CD163 in regulating inflammatory responses.
- To explore CD163 as a potential therapeutic target for inflammatory conditions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of CD163 expression on mononuclear phagocytes.
- Investigating the regulation of CD163 by inflammatory mediators (e.g., glucocorticoids, IL-10, IFN-γ).
Main Results:
- CD163 is predominantly expressed on anti-inflammatory monocyte/macrophage subpopulations.
- CD163 expression is induced by anti-inflammatory mediators and inhibited by pro-inflammatory mediators.
- Both CD163-expressing cells and soluble CD163 contribute to downregulating inflammation.
Conclusions:
- CD163 plays a crucial role in the anti-inflammatory functions of mononuclear phagocytes.
- CD163 represents a promising target for therapeutic interventions aimed at controlling inflammation.
Abstract:
Mononuclear phagocytes represent a heterogeneous population of cells with individual subpopulations exerting different pro- or anti-inflammatory functions. CD163 is a monocyte/macrophage specific marker expressed predominantly on cells which possess strong anti-inflammatory potential. The expression of CD163 is strongly induced by anti-inflammatory mediators such as glucocorticoids and interleukin-10, while being inhibited by pro-inflammatory mediators such as interferon-gamma. CD163-expressing mononuclear phagocytes, as well as soluble CD163, may both take part in downregulating an inflammatory response. It seems, therefore, that CD163 may be an interesting target for therapeutic modulation of the inflammatory response.
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