Cytokine: review time and acceptance speed

ISSN 1043-4666 · ISSN 1096-0023 · Elsevier BV · Immunology and Microbiology

Half of the articles Cytokine accepted in 2025 were accepted within 111 days of submission (n = 230); the middle half took 78–166 days.

Submission → acceptance (2025)
111 days median
middle half 78–166 · n = 230
Acceptance → online
7 days median
middle half 5–11 · n = 230
Change since 2023
Slower than 2023: the median rose from 99 to 111 days (90% CI +0 to +24 days).
Open access · fees
OA status not determined · ≈$3,220

Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026

Plan submissions to a deadline — free

How long does Cytokine take to accept a paper?

days0601201802402020: middle half 81–156 days1172020n=3192021: middle half 74–178 days1222021n=2592022: middle half 87–171 days1322022n=2282023: middle half 59–140 days992023n=2582024: middle half 62–137 days862024n=2882025: middle half 78–166 days1112025n=230
Line = median; shaded box = middle half of articles (25th–75th percentile). Year of acceptance.
Days from submission to acceptance, by year of acceptance
YearArticles (n)25th pctMedian75th pct90th pctAccepted <14 daysHave a revised date
2025230781111662420.4%99%
202428862861371820.0%97%
202325859991402360.8%97%
2022228871321712420.4%97%
2021259741221782370.4%97%
2020319811171562091.2%97%

Distribution in 2025

0–29 days: 1% (3 articles)030–59 days: 10% (24 articles)3060–89 days: 21% (49 articles)6090–119 days: 24% (56 articles)90120–149 days: 13% (31 articles)120150–179 days: 7% (15 articles)150180–209 days: 6% (14 articles)180210–239 days: 6% (14 articles)210240–269 days: 5% (11 articles)240270–299 days: 3% (6 articles)270300–329 days: 2% (5 articles)300330–359 days: 0% (0 articles)330360+ days: 1% (2 articles)360+days from submission to acceptance (30-day bins)
Show as a table
DaysArticlesShare
0–2931.3%
30–592410.4%
60–894921.3%
90–1195624.3%
120–1493113.5%
150–179156.5%
180–209146.1%
210–239146.1%
240–269114.8%
270–29962.6%
300–32952.2%
330–35900.0%
360+20.9%

From acceptance to online publication

After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 7 days (middle half 5–11 days, n = 230).

From submission to online publication, the median was 119 days (middle half 86–170 days, n = 230).

Read these numbers carefully

  • These times describe articles the journal accepted. Rejected manuscripts never appear in public data, so they cannot tell you how long a rejection takes.
  • Dates are the ones the publisher deposited with PubMed. Some publishers record the date a revised manuscript arrived as the submission date, which makes review look faster.
  • Invited articles and special issues can move faster than regular submissions.

Open access status and publishing fees

Subscription or hybrid (not determined). Listed APC: about $3,220 (as reported by OpenAlex).

No institutional payments for this journal are recorded in OpenAPC.

Many journals waive or reduce fees for authors from eligible countries or institutions with publishing agreements — check with the journal and your library.

Integrity and indexing signals

Facts from public records, shown without judgement. See the methodology for why each can be worth a closer look.

Listed in DOAJNo
Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025Yes
Retractions0 retracted articles among 1,285 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.00 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database.
Accepted within 14 days of submission0.4% of 2025 articles
Publication volume237 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (-19% vs 2024).

Topics and scope

Immunology and Microbiology journalsMedicine journalsImmunology journals

Similar journals — faster or cheaper, side by side

Journals publishing on the most similar topics (OpenAlex), ordered by similarity. Only 2025 figures are compared with the 2025 median of Cytokine, 111 days.

Paid APC medianDOAJMEDLINE
Cytokine & Growth Factor Reviews33 (2025, n = 63)≈$4,900NoYes
Journal of Leukocyte Biology150 (2025, n = 153)≈$3,800NoYes
Mediators of Inflammation167 (2025, n = 197)$3,340YesYes
Immunobiology132 (2025, n = 116)$2,900YesYes
Genes and Immunity227 (2025, n = 53)≈$3,190NoYes
The Journal of Immunology145 (2025, n = 363)≈$3,500NoYes
Cellular and Molecular Immunology160 (2025, n = 103)≈$5,190NoYes
International Immunopharmacology97 (2025, n = 1,779)≈$3,220NoYes

Frequently asked questions

How long does Cytokine take to accept a paper?

Half of the articles Cytokine accepted in 2025 were accepted within 111 days of submission (n = 230); the middle half took 78–166 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.

How long after acceptance are Cytokine articles published online?

Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 7 days of acceptance (n = 230).

Does Cytokine charge an article processing charge (APC)?

Listed APC: about $3,220 (as reported by OpenAlex).

Sources and method

Journal identity: ISSN-L 1043-4666; NLM ID 9005353; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 230 articles accepted in 2025 with valid dates; excluded records for that year: none.

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Data sources. Submission, acceptance and publication dates: Courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed, entries through Sep 15, 2026). NLM does not endorse Journal Clock, and these figures may not reflect the most current PubMed data. Journal fees and open-access listing: DOAJ (CC0, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Fees paid by institutions: OpenAPC (Open Database License, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Retractions: Retraction Watch Database via Crossref (retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Journal identifiers and topics: OpenAlex (CC0). Currency conversion: ECB reference rates (Sep 15, 2026). How these numbers are calculated · For organisations.