Table 2.

Summary of the role of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in sepsis.

Cytokine	Role in Sepsis	References
TNF-α	Pro-inflammatory cytokine, produced shortly after infection onset	[37,38,39]
IL-1β	Pro-inflammatory cytokine, triggers release of other cytokines	[37,48]
IL-6	Plays a dual role by initiating both pro- and anti-inflammatory reactions, presents in prolonged period	[37,62,63]
IL-4	Anti-inflammatory cytokine, upregulated to mitigate inflammation and promote tissue recovery	[94]
IL-10	Anti-inflammatory cytokine, suppresses T cell responses, inhibits effector T cell function	[95]
IL-37	Anti-inflammatory cytokine, upregulated to mitigate inflammation and promote tissue recovery	[96]
TGF-β	Anti-inflammatory cytokine, suppresses effector T cell function, but has detrimental effects on disease outcomes by promoting fibrosis	[97]