| interferon-gamma | <cytokine> Interferon elaborated by T lymphocytes in response to either specific antigen or mitogenic stimulation. This type II interferon can be produced by recombinant DNA technology and is similar to the interferon secreted by lymphocytes and has antiviral and antineoplastic activity. Synonym: antigen interferon, immune interferon. Pharmacological action: antineoplastic agent, antiviral agents. (20 Sep 2002) |
|---|---|
| interferon inducers | Agents that promote the production and release of interferons. They include mitogens, lipopolysaccharides, and the synthetic polymers poly a-u and poly I-c. Viruses, bacteria, and protozoa have been also known to induce interferons. (12 Dec 1998) |
| interferon type I | <chemical> Interferon secreted by leukocytes, fibroblasts, or lymphoblasts in response to viruses or interferon inducers other than mitogens, antigens, or allo-antigens. They include alpha- and beta-interferons (interferon-alpha and interferon-beta). Pharmacological action: antineoplastic agent, antiviral agents. (12 Dec 1998) |
| interferon type II | <chemical> The major interferon produced by mitogenically or antigenically stimulated lymphocytes. It is structurally different from type I interferon (interferon type I) and its major activity is immunoregulation. It has been implicated in the expression of class II histocompatibility antigens in cells that do not normally produce them, leading to autoimmune disease. Pharmacological action: antineoplastic agent, antiviral agents. Chemical name: Interferon-gamma (human lymphocyte protein moiety reduced) (12 Dec 1998) |
| type II interferon | <chemical> The major interferon produced by mitogenically or antigenically stimulated lymphocytes. It is structurally different from type I interferon (interferon type I) and its major activity is immunoregulation. It has been implicated in the expression of class II histocompatibility antigens in cells that do not normally produce them, leading to autoimmune disease. Pharmacological action: antineoplastic agent, antiviral agents. Chemical name: Interferon-gamma (human lymphocyte protein moiety reduced) (12 Dec 1998) |
| type I interferon | <chemical> Interferon secreted by leukocytes, fibroblasts, or lymphoblasts in response to viruses or interferon inducers other than mitogens, antigens, or allo-antigens. They include alpha- and beta-interferons (interferon-alpha and interferon-beta). Pharmacological action: antineoplastic agent, antiviral agents. (12 Dec 1998) |
| fibroblast interferon | <cytokine> One of the type I interferons produced by fibroblasts in response to stimulation by live or inactivated virus or by double-stranded RNA. It is a cytokine with antiviral, antiproliferative, and immunomodulating activity. Synonym: fibroblast interferon. Pharmacological action: adjuvants, immunologic, antineoplastic agent, antiviral agents. Chemical name: Interferon-alphaB (human leukocyte protein moiety reduced) (12 Dec 1998) |
| leukocyte interferon | <cytokine> One of the type I interferons produced by peripheral blood leukocytes or lymphoblastoid cells when exposed to live or inactivated virus, double-stranded RNA, or bacterial products. It is the major interferon produced by virus-induced leukocyte cultures and, in addition to its pronounced antiviral activity, causes activation of NK cells. It is used experimentally in the treatment of hairy-cell leukaemia. A number of different subtypes exist that are elaborated by leukocytes in response to viral infection or stimulation with double-stranded RNA; IFN-alpha-2A and -2B are protein products made by recombinant DNA techniques and are used as antineoplastic agents. See: interferon-alpha 2a, interferon-alpha 2b Synonym: leukocyte interferon. Pharmacological action: antineoplastic agent, antiviral agent. (20 Sep 2002) |