Cytokines in acute kidney injury (AKI).

In acute kidney injury (AKI), many cytokines are released by leukocytes and renal tubular cells in the injured kidney and are important components of both the initiation and extension of inflammation. Cytokines are 1) produced by the kidney and mediate AKI, 2) produced by the kidney, released into the blood or urine and serve as biomarkers of AKI, and 3) produced by the kidney or other organs in AKI and mediate or protect against distant organ injury. Further understanding of the role of cytokines in AKI may result in therapeutic approaches like cytokine inhibition that may reduce the degree of kidney injury itself, as well as deleterious effects of kidney injury on other organs.