The genes for trophoblast interferons (IFN) bovine trophoblast protein-1 (bTP-1) and ovine trophoblast protein-1 (oTP-1) are expressed massively in the trophectoderm of preimplantation bovine and ovine concepti during the period of maternal recognition of pregnancy. These 172-amino acid IFN are closely related to the IFN-alpha II, a family of "long" IFN expressed in virus-induced leukocytes. Ge...

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) subverts the antiviral interferon (IFN) response, but the mechanism for this evasion was unclear. Here we show that RSV preferentially inhibits IFN-alpha/beta signaling by expression of viral NS1 and NS2. Thus, RSV infection or expression of recombinant NS1 and NS2 in epithelial host cells causes a marked decrease in Stat2 levels and the consequent downstream I...

To determine the role of innate immune responses in controlling influenza A virus replication, rhesus macaques (RM) were administered pegylated IFN-alpha prior to virus challenge. Systemic and mucosal pegylated IFN-alpha administration induced expression of the interferon-stimulated genes (ISG) MxA and OAS in the airways. RM treated with IFN-alpha 24 hours prior to influenza virus challenge had...

The effect of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on nitric oxide (NO) production in the mouse vascular aortic endothelial cell line END-D was examined. LPS, TNF-alpha, and a low concentration of IFN-gamma inhibited NO production in END-D cells, while a high concentration of IFN-gamma definitely enhanced it. The NO production induc...

conclusions treatment with peg ifn α achieved a sustained negativity of hdv rna in about one third of patients. duration of peg ifn α therapy might be prolonged to at least 24 months or more to prevent the occurrence of hepatitis b virus (hbv) relapse encountered six months after completion of the treatment. patients and methods the sample size was based on available patients potentially to be ...

One of the first steps in the development of cerebral toxoplasmosis is the penetration of the blood-brain barrier, which is comprised of microvascular endothelial cells. We examined the capacity of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) to interact with Toxoplasma gondii. We found that stimulation of HBMEC with gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) resulted in the induction of toxoplasmosta...

Pulmonary toxicity is a rare but potentially fatal side effect occurring during interferon (IFN) alpha treatment for chronic hepatitis C. We present a 47-year-old woman who had chronic hepatitis C and was treated with pegylated IFN alpha-2b in combination with ribavirin, with a good virological response by week 10 of therapy. Then the patient began to complain of dyspnea on exertion and a dry c...

Viral infections induce exacerbations of asthma. One of the earliest host responses to viral infections is the production of innate cytokines including type I interferons (IFNs), such as IFN-beta, which may act to modify airway inflammation. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether IFN-beta modifies the eosinophil adhesion-inducing activity of endothelial cells. Human umbil...

We describe the case of a patient with chronic hepatitis C treated with standard and pegylated-interferon (PEG-IFN) alpha and ribavirin. He developed a reversible hearing loss during the first course of PEG-IFN + ribavirin, but achieved sustained viral clearance and biochemical normalization after PEG-IFN + ribavirin re-treatment.