ABSTRACT
This article reviews the main lines of thinking and exploration that have led to our current conception of the role of IFN-gamma in immune defense and autoimmunity. In 1965 the first report appeared describing production of an interferon-like virus inhibitor in cultured human leukocytes following exposure to the mitogen phytohemagglutinin. In the early 1970s the active principle became recognized as being distinct from classical virus-induced interferons, leading to its designation as immune interferon or Type II interferon, and eventually IFN-gamma. Up to that point interest in the factor had come almost exclusively from virologists, in particular those among them who were believers in interferon. Evidence first coming forward in the 1980s that IFN-gamma is indistinguishable from macrophage-activating factor (MAF), then a prototype lymphokine, was the signal for immunologists at large to become interested. Today IFN-gamma ranks among the most important endogenous regulators of immune responses.
Subject(s)
Interferon-gamma/physiology , Animals , Autoimmune Diseases/immunology , CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/physiology , Chemokines/physiology , Dendritic Cells/physiology , History, 20th Century , History, 21st Century , Humans , Hypersensitivity, Delayed/immunology , Interferon-gamma/history , Killer Cells, Natural/physiology , Lymphocyte Activation/drug effects , Lymphokines/physiology , Macrophage-Activating Factors/immunology , Shwartzman Phenomenon/immunologyABSTRACT
One hundred five patients were enrolled in a 12-week, randomized, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of recombinant human gamma-interferon (rHu gamma-IFN) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Fifty-four patients received rHu gamma-IFN and 51 received placebo. Forty-two patients in each group completed the 12-week trial. Some clinical improvement occurred in both groups of patients. Although the improvement with rHu gamma-IFN was greater than that with placebo, the differences were generally not statistically significant.
Subject(s)
Antirheumatic Agents/history , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/history , Interferon-gamma/history , Antirheumatic Agents/therapeutic use , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy , Double-Blind Method , History, 20th Century , Humans , Interferon-gamma/therapeutic use , Multicenter Studies as Topic/history , Placebos , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic/history , Recombinant ProteinsABSTRACT
T cells tell macrophages when to start making the toxic soup of lysosomal enzymes, reactive oxygen species, and nitric oxide that destroys intracellular pathogens. In 1983, Carl Nathan proved that this start signal comes in the form of the secreted cytokine IFNgamma.
