Recombinant cytokines and pulmonary host defense.

The recent discovery of several cytokines and their purification using recombinant DNA technology has uncovered their role as critical factors in pulmonary host defense. The importance of tumor necrosis factor, interferon-gamma, and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor in lung infections was first elucidated in animal models and has been confirmed with neutralization studies. This article reviews these three cytokines, their recent use in human subjects, and their potential use in the future.