Anesthesiology and the cytokine network

The immune response is a highly specific reaction carried out by means of specialized cells that belong to the immune system. There are two types of immune response mechanisms aimed towards pathogens: non-specific, innate reactions, and specific, acquired reactions. Acquired immunity, characterized by its specificity, is comprised of lymphocytes, including both T cell and B cell populations. The role of B lymphocytes is not limited to the humoral response, though the cellular immune response is carried out mainly by various T lymphocyte subpopulations. The reactions of the humoral and cellular responses complement and stimulate one another mutually - cytokines are their common linking element. The attachment of cytokines to their specific receptors activates a sequence of signals - either intracellular or between the cells of various systems. This organization of respective connections and reactions, including the functional relations between cells of the immune response, in its complexity, is best described as a cytokine network. The response of the immune system to surgical trauma can be looked at from both a local and a general perspective. Not only surgical trauma caused by tissue damage, however, influences the functioning of the immune system, but also the drugs and techniques used during anesthesia. Our article is a presentation of the effects of medications used in anesthesia with respect to their influence on the cytokine network.