Vecj. Schijns et al., EXACERBATED VIRAL-HEPATITIS IN IFN-GAMMA RECEPTOR-DEFICIENT MICE IS NOT SUPPRESSED BY IL-12, The Journal of immunology, 157(2), 1996, pp. 815-821
Both IL-12 and IFN-gamma have been implicated as principal inducers of
type 1 immune responses required for the elimination of intracellular
pathogens, such as viruses. We examined the in vivo antiviral role of
both cytokines during coronavirus-induced hepatitis in a mouse hepati
tis virus (MHV) model. The absence of IFN-gamma function in mice with
a targeted disruption of the IFN-gamma R alpha-chain gene (IFN-gamma R
-/-) resulted in increased susceptibility to coronaviral hepatitis as
sociated with augmented viral replication and increased hepatocellular
injury. The mutant mice showed a type 1 lymphokine response character
ized by the normal high IFN-gamma and low IL-4 production. Unlike MHV-
infected wild-type mice, however, the mutant IFN-gamma R -/- mice show
ed no increase in IL-12 p40 gene expression, similar to that in naive
animals. IL-12 treatment failed to restore host resistance in IFN-gamm
a R -/- mice, but significantly protected MHV-susceptible C57BL/6 mice
against lethal infection, although less than IFN-gamma treatment. Mic
e protected by IL-12 or IFN-gamma showed resistance against an otherwi
se lethal second MHV infection. Our data demonstrate that despite redu
ced IL-12 gene expression and defective IFN-gamma R function, virus-in
duced IFN-gamma production can occur. Furthermore, they emphasize the
pivotal antiviral role of IFN-gamma in protection against acute corona
virus-induced hepatitis.