What is a cytokine storm?

What is a cytokine storm? Other than the flu, what triggers a cytokine storm?
Answers:    A cytokine storm, or hypercytokinemia is a potentially fatal immune reaction consisting of a positive feedback loop between cytokines and immune cell.
It would appear that viruses trigger the cytokine storm We should worry more about the storm than we should the flu. In cases involving ARDS and liver dysfunction, renal insufficiency it is the storm and not the virus at the root do. Steroids don't hold much promise in this case either.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokine
A cytokine storm is the systemic expression of a healthy and vigorous immune system resulting in the release of more than 150 inflammatory UN armed forces (cytokines, oxygen free radicals, and coagulation factors).

Both pro-inflammatory cytokines (such as Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, InterLeukin-1, and InterLeukin-6) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (such as interleukin 10, and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist) are elevated in the serum, and the fierce and repeatedly lethal interplay of these cytokines is referred to as a "Cytokine Storm".
primary contributors to the cytokine storm are TNF-a (Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha) and IL-6 (Interleukin-6). The cytokine storm is an inappropriate (exaggerated) immune response that is cause by rapidly proliferating and highly activated T-cells or crude killer (NK) cells. These cells are themselves activate by infected macrophages. The cytokine storm must be treated and suppressed or lethality can result.


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