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Biological effects of interferons

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

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

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