title: Interferon-alpha, immune activation and immune dysfunction in treated HIV infection.
abstract: Type I interferons (IFNs) exert anti-viral effects through the induction of numerous IFN-stimulated genes and an immunomodulatory effect on innate and adaptive immune responses. This is beneficial in controlling virus infections but prolonged IFN-α activity in persistent virus infections, such as HIV infection, may contribute to immune activation and have a detrimental effect on the function of monocytes and T and B lymphocytes. Activation of monocytes, associated with increased IFN-α activity, contributes to atherosclerotic vascular disease, brain disease and other 'age-related diseases' in HIV patients treated with long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART). In HIV patients receiving ART, the anti-viral effects of IFN-α therapy have the potential to contribute to eradication of HIV infection while IFN-α inhibitor therapy is under investigation for the treatment of immune activation. The management of HIV patients receiving ART will be improved by understanding more about the opposing effects of IFN-α on HIV infection and disease and by developing methods to assess IFN-α activity in clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Australia , Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Lilian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University , Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Cassandra M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Berry
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology and Pathwest Laboratory Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital , Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nolan
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University , Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia ; Department of Clinical Immunology and Pathwest Laboratory Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital , Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castley
authors.affiliation: School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Australia , Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.affiliation: School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Australia , Crawley, Western Australia, Australia ; Department of Clinical Immunology and Pathwest Laboratory Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital , Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Martyn A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: French
keywords: HIV; immune activation; interferon-alpha; monocytes; type I interferons