Type I Interferons (IFNs) are requisite components in antiviral innate immunity. Classically, a Toll-like receptor-dependent pathway induces type I interferons. However, recent recognition of melanoma differentiation associated gene-5 (MDA-5) and retinoic acid inducible gene-I (RIG-I) as primary sensors of RNA viruses for type I interferon induction highlights a potentially unique pathway for i...

One of the first lines of defense of the host immune response to infection is upregulation of interferons, which play a vital role in triggering the early nonspecific antiviral state of the host. Interferons prompt the generation of numerous downstream products, known as interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). One such ISG found to be either directly induced by type I, II, and III interferons or in...

The toxicity of interferon to bone marrow was studied by the use of in vitro colony forming assays for hemopoietic cells. In the same study the relative inhibitory effects of two clinically common interferon preparations, leukocyte and fibroblast interferons, were compared with regard to their effect on both myeloid [colony-forming unit, culture (CFUc)] and erythroid [colony-forming unit, eryth...

Apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) risk variants greatly elevate the risk of kidney disease in African Americans. Here we report a cohort of patients who developed collapsing focal segmental glomerulosclerosis while receiving therapeutic interferon, all of whom carried the APOL1 high-risk genotype. This finding raised the possibility that interferons and the molecular pattern recognition receptors that ...

Interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-2, tumour necrosis factor alpha, and the interferons, alfa and gamma, were measured concurrently in synovial fluid samples from 68 patients with rheumatic diseases. Mean interleukin-1 beta concentrations (130.3 (SD 22) pg/ml) were higher in synovial fluids from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) than in those from patients with osteoarthritis (27.8(4.5)pg/ml...

Signaling mechanisms leading to regulation of gene transcription by growth hormone (GH) and other molecules that signal via the cytokine receptor family have been elusive. Based upon recent findings that GH and interferons activate JAK family tyrosine kinases, we have identified a novel signaling pathway leading from the GH receptor to the nucleus. We report that in 3T3-F442A fibroblasts, GH st...

Rhinovirus infection is a major cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations and may contribute to the development into severe stages of COPD. The macrolide antibiotic azithromycin may exert anti-viral actions and has been reported to reduce exacerbations in COPD. However, little is known about its anti-viral actions on bronchial epithelial cells at clinically relevant co...

The interferons are a family of secreted, multifunctional proteins which are components of the defenses of vertebrates against viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections and certain tumors. They exert their various activities by inducing the synthesis of a large variety of proteins. There are direct and indirect indications that several of these proteins may have tumor-suppressor activities. Th...

Interferons are proteins produced by certain cells in response to stimuli such as foreign cells (including tumour cells), bacteria, and viral antigens. They interact both with the interferon producing cells and other cells through production of effector proteins. There are three main types of interferons, known as alpha, beta, and gamma, which have direct antiviral and immunomodulatory effects....