title: Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) down-regulates the rhinovirus-induced expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) on human airway epithelial cells.
abstract: Human rhinoviruses (HRV) are a major cause of upper respiratory tract infections in man, and can exacerbate existing pulmonary disease. The major group of HRV attach to ICAM-1, which is expressed on nasal and bronchial epithelial cells. To study the influence of biological mediators on ICAM-1 expression, and consequently HRV attachment and infection, we compared the effects of various cytokines, alone and in combination, on ICAM-1 expression by an uninfected and HRV-infected bronchial epithelial cell line H292. Cytokines known to be released soon after viral infection, such as tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), IL-1beta and the chemokine IL-8 increase ICAM-1 expression on uninfected cells. Epithelial cells infected with live HRV-14 displayed marked up-regulation of ICAM-1 compared with baseline. TNF-alpha further enhanced the HRV-induced increase in ICAM-1 expression on epithelial cells, peaking at day 4 after infection, whilst IL-8 exhibited a steady increase in ICAM-1 expression over 14 days. In contrast, IFN-gamma, a known Th1 antiviral lymphokine, whilst increasing the level of ICAM-1 on uninfected cells, induced a significant persistent down-regulation of ICAM-1 expression on HRV-infected epithelial cells. With combinations of TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma, ICAM-1 expression on HRV-infected cells was reduced to basal levels. The effects of IFN-gamma were paralleled by a reduction in viral titres. Our in vitro model has provided useful insights into the early pathogenic events of HRV infection at the level of the host cell-virus interaction. Our data confirm that biological mediators play a crucial role in the pathogenesis as well as the course of HRV infection which is modulated by the types, and time kinetics of inflammatory cytokines in the immediate microenvironment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, North Staffordshire Hospital Trust, Stoke-on-Trent, UK.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sethi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bianco
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Spiteri
mesh_terms: D001980:Bronchi / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D002460:Cell Line; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012229:Rhinovirus / Q000502:physiology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D007371:Interferon-gamma