interleukin 1: Meaning and Definition of

in•ter•leu•kin 1

Pronunciation: (in'tur-l"kin), [key]
— Immunol. Immunol.
  1. any 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
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.