Anti-inflammatory properties of pro-inflummatory interferon-γ

Production of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in response to infection is a hallmark of innate and adaptive immunity. In addition to the pivotal role of IFN-gamma in host defense, its excessive release has been associated with the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. In fact, knockout models reveal that IFN-gamma plays a key role in mediating a number of pathological processes related to chronic immune activation. On the other hand, evidence has been accumulated in recent years that supports the concept of a dual role of IFN-gamma in inflammation. Here, we review anti-inflammatory aspects of IFN-gamma in the regulatory network of cytokine biology. These include induction of anti-inflammatory molecules such as interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) and IL-18 binding protein (IL-18BP), modulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine production, activation of apoptosis, and interference with the signal transduction machinery by induction of suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS). (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.