CXCL10

C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10) also known as Interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10) or small-inducible cytokine B10 is an 8.7 kDa is_associated_with::protein that in humans is encoded by the CXCL10 is_associated_with::gene. C-X-C motif chemokine 10 is a small is_associated_with::cytokine belonging to the CXC is_associated_with::chemokine family.

Gene
The gene for CXCL10 is located on human is_associated_with::chromosome 4 in a cluster among several other CXC chemokines.

Function
CXCL10 is secreted by several cell types in response to IFN-γ. These cell types include is_associated_with::monocytes, is_associated_with::endothelial cells and is_associated_with::fibroblasts. CXCL10 has been attributed to several roles, such as chemoattraction for is_associated_with::monocytes/is_associated_with::macrophages, is_associated_with::T cells, is_associated_with::NK cells, and is_associated_with::dendritic cells, promotion of is_associated_with::T cell adhesion to is_associated_with::endothelial cells, antitumor activity, and inhibition of is_associated_with::bone marrow colony formation and is_associated_with::angiogenesis.

This chemokine elicits its effects by binding to the cell surface is_associated_with::chemokine receptor is_associated_with::CXCR3.

Structure
The three-dimensional crystal structure of this chemokine has been determined under 3 different conditions to a resolution of up to 1.92 Å. The is_associated_with::Protein Data Bank accession codes for the structures of CXCL10 are, , and.

Clinical significance
Baseline pre-treatment plasma levels of CXCL10 are elevated in patients chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) of genotypes 1 or 4 who do not achieve a sustained viral response (SVR) after completion of antiviral therapy. CXCL10 in plasma is mirrored by intrahepatic CXCL10 mRNA, and both strikingly predict the first days of elimination of HCV RNA  (“first phase decline”) during interferon/ribavirin therapy for all HCV genotypes. This also applies for patients co-infected with HIV, where pre-treatment IP-10 levels below 150 pg/mL are predictive of a favorable response, and may thus be useful in encouraging these otherwise difficult-to-treat patients to initiate therapy.