Fig. 3.

Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines as the name suggests trigger pro- and anti-inflammatory response. The pro-inflammatory cytokines facilitate the inflammatory response leading to pain and tissue damage, whereas the anti-inflammatory cytokines counteract the inflammatory reactions. The inflammatory cytokines function either alone or in a coordinated manner. The chronic inflammatory cytokine response facilitates host defence against infection. However, the acute inflammatory response or cytokine storm can cause excessive tissue damage and organ failure. The black colour arrows indicate pro-inflammatory cytokines, whereas red colour arrows indicate anti-inflammatory cytokines. Note some dual roles of cytokines. Also, note this is not a complete list of cytokines