The role of interferon-gamma in murine pneumococcal pneumonia

To determine the role of interferon (IFN)-gamma in pneumonia, IFN-gamma receptor-deficient (IFN-gamma R-/-) and 129/Sv (wild-type [wt]) mice were inoculated intranasally with Streptococcus pneumoniae. Although mortality did not differ between the groups 48 h after inoculation, IFN-gamma R-/- mice had significantly fewer pneumococci in their lungs than the wt mice. Similarly, IFN-gamma (-/-) mice had fewer colony-forming units in lungs than wt mice. The relatively increased resistance of IFN-gamma R-/- mice was not related to favorable effects on defense mechanisms known to contribute to antibacterial immunity-that is, the neutrophilic influx was reduced and the cytokine and nitric oxide levels were similar or lower in IFN-gamma R-/- mice. In contrast, mice treated with anti-IFN-gamma did not demonstrate a consistently altered bacterial outgrowth, compared with mice treated with a control antibody. These data suggest that endogenous IFN-gamma, despite its protective role in defense against intracellular pathogens, does not serve a protective role during pneumococcal pneumonia.