title: Anti-retroviral effects of type I IFN subtypes in vivo.
abstract: Type I IFN play a very important role in immunity against viral infections. Murine type I IFN belongs to a multigene family including 14 IFN-alpha subtypes but the biological functions of IFN-alpha subtypes in retroviral infections are unknown. We have used the Friend retrovirus model to determine the anti-viral effects of IFN-alpha subtypes in vitro and in vivo. IFN-alpha subtypes alpha1, alpha4, alpha6 or alpha9 suppressed Friend virus (FV) replication in vitro, but differed greatly in their anti-viral efficacy in vivo. Treatment of FV-infected mice with the IFN-alpha subtypes alpha1, alpha4 or alpha9, but not alpha6 led to a significant reduction in viral loads. Decreased splenic viral load after IFN-alpha1 treatment correlated with an expansion of activated FV-specific CD8(+) T cells and NK cells into the spleen, whereas in IFN-alpha4- and -alpha9-treated mice it exclusively correlated with the activation of NK cells. The results demonstrate the distinct anti-retroviral effects of different IFN-alpha subtypes, which may be relevant for new therapeutic approaches.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Virologie des Universitätsklinikums Essen, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gerlach
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gibbert
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alter
authors.forename: Savita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.forename: Gennadiy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zelinskyy
authors.forename: Cassandra M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Dittmer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005622:Friend murine leukemia virus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha