title: Differential induction of cytokines by primary and persistent measles virus infections in human glial cells.
abstract: The effect of measles virus (MV) infection on mRNA expression and protein synthesis of cytokines in human malignant glioma cell lines (D-54 and U-251) was investigated. Primary MV infections led in both cell lines to the induction of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interferon-beta (IFN-beta), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). In contrast, persistently infected astrocytoma lines continually produced IL-6 (two out of 12 lines high levels) and IFN-beta, whereas only 1 out of 12 lines synthesized TNF-alpha and none IL-1 beta. The pathways for induction of IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha expression were not suppressed by the persistent MV infection, since IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha could be induced by external stimuli like diacylglycerol analog plus calcium ionophore. Interestingly, persistently infected astrocytoma cells synthesized considerably higher levels of IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha than uninfected cells after additional external induction. These results suggest that in the central nervous system (CNS) of SSPE patients a percentage of persistently infected astrocytes may continually synthesize IL-6 and IFN-beta, and in the presence of additional external stimuli, as possibly provided by activated lymphocytes, might overexpress the inflammatory cytokines IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha. This may be of pathogenetic significance in CNS diseases associated with persistent MV infections.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Virologie und Immunbiologie, Universität Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schneider-Schaulies
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schneider-Schaulies
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ter Meulen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001254:Astrocytoma; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008459:Measles virus / Q000502:physiology*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007372:Interferons