title: IFN-alpha and IFN-beta: a link between immune memory and chronic inflammation.
abstract: The majority of expanded T cells generated during an immune response are cleared by apoptosis. Prevention of death in some activated T cells enables the persistence of a memory T-cell pool. Here, observations that IFN-alpha and IFN-beta inhibit activated T-cell apoptosis are described. Although this enables memory T cells to persist without antigen, excessive IFN-alpha or IFN-gamma secretion might lead to chronic inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Royal Free and University College Medical School, Hampstead, London, UK. akbar@rfhsm.ac.uk
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Akbar
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lord
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salmon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology*; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000276:immunology*; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha; D016899:Interferon-beta