Title:Midkine in Inflammatory and Toxic Conditions
VOLUME: 10 ISSUE: 1
Author(s):Nuray Yazihan
Affiliation:Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Pathophysiology Department, Morphology Building, 06100 Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey.
Keywords:Cytokine, immune system, inflammatory diseases, midkine, toxicity
Abstract:Midkine (MK) is a member of midkine family which is composed of MK and pleotrophin (PTN). MK behaves
like a cytokine and growth factor, promotes the proliferation, differentiation, survival, adhesion, migration of cells. MK
expression usually increases during ischemia, inflammation, tissue repair, neoplastic transformation and in different toxic
conditions. Immune cells and most of organs have MK secretion function in fetal and adult life. MK could be a promising
prognostic/diagnostic marker and a potential target in many of diseases including malignancy, toxic and inflammatory
diseases. This review focuses on both cell protective and immune-modulatory roles of MK in different in vitro and in vivo
disease models and human reports. MK is still a novel molecule in the regulation of organ development and the etiology
of many diseases.
