Journal of interferon & cytokine research : the official journal of the International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research
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J. Interferon Cytokine Res. · Oct 2020
ReviewImpact of Hydroxychloroquine/Chloroquine in COVID-19 Therapy: Two Sides of the Coin.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), has recently emerged as a global health threat. To address this health emergency, various therapeutic approaches are currently under investigation. ⋯ Based on several hospital findings, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially cancelled the emergency use authorization for HCQ and CQ for treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients on June 15, 2020. In this review, we highlight both pros and cons of the clinical use of CQ and HCQ in COVID-19 patients.
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J. Interferon Cytokine Res. · Sep 2020
Multicenter Study Observational StudyTherapeutic Effectiveness of Interferon-α2b Against COVID-19: The Cuban Experience.
A prospective observational study was conducted for assessing the therapeutic efficacy of interferon (IFN)-α2b in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during the first month after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak began in Cuba. From March 11th to April 14th, 814 patients were confirmed SARS-CoV-2 positive in Cuba. Seven hundred sixty-one (93.4%) were treated with a combination of oral antivirals (lopinavir/ritonavir and chloroquine) with intramuscular administration of IFN-α2b (Heberon® Alpha R, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba), 3 times per week, for 2 weeks. ⋯ The case fatality rate (CFR) for all patients was 2.95%, and for those patients who received IFN-α2b the CFR was reduced to 0.92. Intensive care was required for 82 patients (10.1%), 42 (5.5%) had been treated with IFN. This report provides preliminary evidence for the therapeutic effectiveness of IFN-α2b for COVID-19 and suggests that the use of Heberon Alpha R may contribute to complete recovery of patients.
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J. Interferon Cytokine Res. · Apr 2017
Interferon-Stimulated Gene Expression as a Preferred Biomarker for Disease Activity in Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome.
Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS) is an early-onset, genetic disease characterized by recurrent fever, multifocal lesions of the brain, and systemic autoimmunity. We report on 3 AGS patients, 2 siblings with an RNASEH2A gene mutation and 1 patient with a SAMHD1 gene mutation. ⋯ Erythrocyte sedimentation rates fluctuated within the normal range for Patient 2, with some elevation, yet, were in the normal range during the second febrile episode when there were accompanying neurological abnormalities. These preliminary data suggest that ISG expression may be a more specific indicator of disease activity in comparison to standard inflammatory markers.
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J. Interferon Cytokine Res. · Dec 2015
Effect of Regulatory T Cells on Promoting Apoptosis of T Lymphocyte and Its Regulatory Mechanism in Sepsis.
With both in vivo and in vitro experiments, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of regulatory T cell (Treg) on promoting T-lymphocyte apoptosis and its regulatory mechanism through transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β1) signaling in mice. A murine model of polymicrobial sepsis was reproduced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP); PC61 and anti-TGF-β antibodies were used to decrease counts of CD4(+)CD25(+) Tregs and inhibit TGF-β activity, respectively. Splenic CD4(+)CD25(+) Tregs and CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells were isolated. ⋯ After treatment with PC61 or anti-TGF-β antibody, CTLA-4, Foxp3, and TGFβ1(m+) expressions of CD4(+)CD25(+) Tregs were markedly decreased in comparison to that of the CLP group and the apoptosis rate of CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells was significantly positively correlated with the expression of TGF-β1. Meanwhile, levels of P-Smad2/P-Smad3, proapoptotic protein Bim, cytochrome C, and activity of caspase-3, -8, -9 were downregulated, whereas the mitochondrial membrane potential and antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 expression were restored. Taken together, our data indicated that the TGF-β1 signal could be partly involved in the apoptosis of CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells promoted by CD4(+)CD25(+) Tregs, therefore inhibition of TGF-β1 expression may provide a novel strategy for the improvement of host immunosuppression following sepsis.
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J. Interferon Cytokine Res. · Jan 2015
ReviewInsights into the apoptotic death of immune cells in sepsis.
Sepsis with subsequent multiple-organ dysfunction is a distinct systemic inflammatory response to concealed or obvious infection, and it is a leading cause of death in intensive care units. Thus, one of the key goals in critical care medicine is to develop novel therapeutic strategies that will affect favorably on outcome of septic patients. ⋯ The implication of apoptosis of immune cells is now highlighted by multiple studies that demonstrate that prevention of cell apoptosis can improve survival in relevant animal models of severe sepsis. In this review, we focus on major apoptotic death pathways and molecular mechanisms that regulate apoptosis of different immune cells, and advances in these areas that may be translated into more promising therapies for the prevention and treatment of severe sepsis.