INTERLEUKIN-1 AND RELATED PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES IN THE TREATMENTOF BACTERIAL-INFECTIONS IN NEUTROPENIC AND NON-NEUTROPENIC ANIMALS

Bacterial infections in the immunocompromized host cause considerable mortality, and even the recently developed antimicrobial strategies of ten fail to cure these infections, especially in granulocytopenic pati ents. Cytokines and hematopoietic growth factors have been shown to st imulate host defense mechanisms in vitro and in vivo. We discuss the p ossible role of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1, tumor ne crosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 as modulators of host resistance to bacterial infections. Interleukin-1 has been shown effective in various animal models of potentially lethal bacterial inf ection, even during severe granulocytopenia. The protective mechanism of interleukin-1 may be mediated via downregulation of cytokine recept ors and cytokine production, and via induction of acute phase proteins . Moreover, in subacute and chronic infections interleukin-1 interfere s with microbial outgrowth, via mechanisms that have only been partial ly elucidated.