biological effects of interferons
Last reviewed 01/2018
The biological effects of interferons may be classified into three categories:
- antiviral:
- high interferon levels in some viral infections are correlated with eventual resolution of infection
- neutralising antibodies to interferons may increase the virulence of viral infections
- type I interferons are secreted by virus-infected cells to provide a local (paracrine) signal to neighbouring cells
- neighbouring cells become more resistant to the entry, replication and shedding of viruses
- antiproliferative/antitumour effects:
- type I and II interferons are synergistic
- the levels of metabolically important chemicals are altered e.g. tryptophan
- cells arrested in the Go stage of the cell cycle
- protein kinase and c-myc levels are decreased
- activation of natural killer and cytotoxic T cells
- immunomodulatory effects:
- type I & II interferons increase the levels of MHC class I expression
- type II interferon increases type II MHC expresion
- type II interferon is the classical macrophage activating factor