WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
in•ter•leu•kin 1
(in′tər lo̅o̅′kin),USA pronunciation [Immunol.]
- Immunologyany of several proteins released from certain cells, esp. macrophages, and having various effects on the activity of other cells, as promoting inflammation or enhancing T-cell proliferation. Abbr.: IL-1
- 1979; inter- + leuk(ocyte) + -in2; so called because such proteins act as agents of communication between different populations of leukocytes
'interleukin 1' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):