Alternative splice variants of cytokines: making a list.

The cytokine network is an extremely complicated and redundant system of mutually interdependent pleiotropic cytokines that interacts with a variety of cells, tissues and organs producing various regulatory effects, both local and systemic. Recent studies have revealed a new source of complexity in the cytokine network--alternative splicing. This minireview attempts to summarize the available data on the alternative splicing of cytokines and its regulatory significance.