title: Inflammasome activation and IL-1β and IL-18 processing during infection.
abstract: Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18 contribute to host defense against infection by augmenting antimicrobial properties of phagocytes and initiating Th1 and Th17 adaptive immune responses. Protein complexes called inflammasomes activate intracellular caspase-1 autocatalytically, which cleaves the inactive precursors of IL-1β and IL-18 into bioactive cytokines. In this review, we discuss the controversies regarding inflammasome activation and the role of the inflammasome during infection. We highlight alternative mechanisms for processing IL-1β and IL-18 during infection, which involve extracellular cleavage of the inactive cytokines by neutrophil-derived serine proteases or proteases released from cytotoxic T cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. f.veerdonk@aig.umcn.nl
authors.forename: Frank L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: van de Veerdonk
authors.forename: Mihai G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Netea
authors.forename: Charles A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Dinarello
authors.forename: Leo A B
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Joosten
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology*; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000276:immunology*; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020382:Interleukin-18; D053583:Interleukin-1beta