Double-stranded RNA induces disproportionate expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin versus interferon-beta in bronchial epithelial cells from donors with asthma.
Addition of IFN-β restored apoptosis, suppressed virus replication and improved repair of airway epithelial cells from asthmatics but did not reduce inflammatory cytokine production.
The degree of rhinovirus-induced ORMDL3, HSPA5 and IFNB1 expression varied by leucocyte type and 17q21 genotype, with the highest expression of these genes in the asthma-associated genotype.
No differences in the release or expression of RANTES, IFN-λ1 protein and mRNA, or IFN-α and IFN-β mRNA between asthmatics and healthy controls were observed.
Here we investigate the expression of IFN-β, IFN-λ1 (IL-29), IFN-λ2/3 (IL-28A/B) and the interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) such as myxovirus resistance 1 (Mx1), oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS) and viperin in unstimulated sputum cells in 57 asthmatics (including 16 mild, 19 moderate and 22 severe asthma patients) and compared them with 19 healthy subjects.
Together, these results suggest that RSV infection of MSCs alters their immune regulatory function by upregulating IFN-β and IDO, affecting immune cell proliferation, which may account for the lack of protective RSV immunity and for chronicity of RSV-associated lung diseases such as asthma and COPD.
Pre-treatment with H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> did not alter antioxidant responses in COPD bronchial epithelial cells and, more modestly than in asthma, reduced poly(I:C)-induced IFNβ gene expression.