title: The role of interferon-gamma in murine pneumococcal pneumonia.
abstract: To determine the role of interferon (IFN)-gamma in pneumonia, IFN-gamma receptor-deficient (IFN-gamma R(-/-)) and 129/Sv (wild-type [wt]) mice were inoculated intranasally with Streptococcus pneumoniae. Although mortality did not differ between the groups 48 h after inoculation, IFN-gamma R(-/-) mice had significantly fewer pneumococci in their lungs than the wt mice. Similarly, IFN-gamma(-/-) mice had fewer colony-forming units in lungs than wt mice. The relatively increased resistance of IFN-gamma R(-/-) mice was not related to favorable effects on defense mechanisms known to contribute to antibacterial immunity-that is, the neutrophilic influx was reduced and the cytokine and nitric oxide levels were similar or lower in IFN-gamma R(-/-) mice. In contrast, mice treated with anti-IFN-gamma did not demonstrate a consistently altered bacterial outgrowth, compared with mice treated with a control antibody. These data suggest that endogenous IFN-gamma, despite its protective role in defense against intracellular pathogens, does not serve a protective role during pneumococcal pneumonia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Internal Medicine, Tropical Medicine, and AIDS, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. a.w.rijneveld@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: Anita W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Rijneveld
authors.forename: Fanny N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Lauw
authors.forename: Marc J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Florquin
authors.forename: Anje A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Te Velde
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Speelman
authors.forename: Sander J H
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Van Deventer
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Van Der Poll
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000276:immunology; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000032:analysis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology; D016177:Macrophage-1 Antigen / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D017471:Receptors, Interferon / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis; D000096743:Interferon gamma Receptor
chemical_list: D007371:Interferon-gamma; D018664:Interleukin-12; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016177:Macrophage-1 Antigen; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D017471:Receptors, Interferon; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000096743:Interferon gamma Receptor