title: Interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha protect mice from invasive aspergillosis.
abstract: The immunopathogenesis of invasive aspergillosis and the role played by cytokines are not fully understood. The roles of interferon (IFN)-gamma and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha were investigated in BALB/c mice infected intravenously with 5 x 10(5) Aspergillus fumigatus conidia. Eight groups of animals were studied, including 2 control groups (mice only infected with A. fumigatus and those given cortisone acetate and infected with A. fumigatus) and 6 groups of infected mice either treated or not treated with cortisone acetate and given IFN-gamma, anti-IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, or anti-TNF-alpha. No deaths occurred among the mice treated with IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha, compared with 40%-80% mortality in the other groups. IFN-gamma- and TNF-alpha-treated mice also had fewer organs from which A. fumigatus could be cultured or demonstrated on histologic examination. These observations suggest that IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha have protective roles in invasive aspergillosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kurup
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003348:Cortisone / Q000494:pharmacology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D003348:Cortisone