Polyinosinic acid: polycytidylic acid promotes T helper type 1-specific immune responses by stimulating macrophage production of interferon-alpha and interleukin-12.
The effects exerted on the development in vitro of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus group I (Der p I)-specific T cell lines and T cell clones by addition of polyinosinic acid: polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) in lymphocyte bulk culture were examined. Der p I-specific T cell lines generated in presence of poly I:C exhibited reduced ability to produce interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5 and developed into Der p I-specific CD4+ T cell clones showing a T helper (Th) type 0 or Th1, instead of Th0/Th2 cytokine profile. This effect was prevented by addition to lymphocyte bulk cultures of a mixture of antibodies specific for interferon (IFN)-alpha and IL-12, whereas the addition of anti-IFN-alpha or anti-IL-12 antibody alone was uneffective. Poly I:C also showed the ability to stimulate the production of noticeable amounts of both IFN-alpha and IL-12 by human monocytes. Taken together, these data suggest that poly I:C is a Th1-inducing agent whose activity is mediated by its ability to stimulate the production of IFN-alpha and IL-12 by monocytes.
Manetti
R
R
Istituto di Clinica Medica 3, University of Florence, Italy.
Annunziato
F
F
Tomasevic
L
L
Giannò
V
V
Parronchi
P
P
Romagnani
S
S
Maggi
E
E
D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity / Q000187:drug effects; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology*; D011070:Poly I-C / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*
D016898:Interferon-alpha; D018664:Interleukin-12; D011070:Poly I-C