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Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 10 1997, 611-636, Vol 10, No. 4
L Romani, P Puccetti and F Bistoni
Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a potent immunoregulatory cytokine that is
crucially involved in a wide range of infectious diseases. In several
experimental models of bacterial, parasitic, viral, and fungal infection,
endogenous IL-12 is required for early control of infection and for
generation and perhaps maintenance of acquired protective immunity,
directed by T helper type 1 (Th1) cells and mediated by phagocytes.
Although the relative roles of IL-12 and gamma interferon in Th1-cell
priming may be to a significant extent pathogen dependent, common to most
infections is that IL-12 regulates the magnitude of the gamma interferon
response at the initiation of infection, thus potentiating natural
resistance, favoring Th1-cell development; and inhibiting Th2 responses.
Treatment of animals with IL-12, either alone or as a vaccine adjuvant, has
been shown to prevent disease by many of the same infectious agents, by
stimulating innate resistance or promoting specific reactivity. Although
IL-12 may enhance protective memory responses in vaccination or in
combination with antimicrobial chemotherapy, it is yet unclear whether
exogenous IL-12 can alter established responses in humans. Continued
investigation into the possible application of IL-12 therapy to human
infections is warranted by the role of the cytokine in inflammation,
immunopathology, and autoimmunity.
Copyright © 1997 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Interleukin-12 in infectious diseases
Department of Experimental Medicine and Biochemical Sciences, University of Perugia, Italy. iromani@unipg.it
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