During the last ten years many papers were published providing evidence of elevated serum concentrations of different cytokines in the majority of cardiovascular dieseases. Eventually it was demonstrated that they exert various effects on the heart muscle and vascular wall and thus have an impact on the patient´s prognosis. Nowadays even a cytokine hypothesis of cardiovascu- lar diseases exists. The objective of the work is to give an account of contemporary findings on the importance of cytokines in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases and possilbilities of therapeutic interventions.

        Key words: Cytokines - Myocardium - Acute coronary syndromes - Myocarditis - Cardiac failure -