Type I Interferons Potently Enhance Humoral Immunity and Can Promote Isotype Switching by Stimulating Dendritic Cells In Vivo

• Published in: Immunity (Cambridge, Mass.) Vol. 14; no. 4; pp. 461 - 470
• Main Authors: Le Bon, Agnes, Schiavoni, Giovanna, D'Agostino, Giuseppina, Gresser, Ion, Belardelli, Filippo, Tough, David F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.04.2001
• Subjects: Adjuvants, Immunologic - pharmacology; Animals; Antibody Formation - drug effects; Dendritic Cells - drug effects; gamma-Globulins - immunology; Immunoglobulin Class Switching - drug effects; Immunologic Memory; Interferon Type I - biosynthesis; Interferon Type I - pharmacology; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Poly I-C - pharmacology
• ISSN: 1074-7613; 1097-4180
• DOI: 10.1016/S1074-7613(01)00126-1

Type I interferons (IFN-I) are rapidly induced following infection and play a key role in nonspecific inhibition of virus replication. Here we have investigated the effects of IFN-I on the generation of antigen-specific antibody responses. The data show that IFN-I potently enhance the primary antibody response to a soluble protein, stimulating the production of all subclasses of IgG, and induce long-lived antibody production and immunological memory. In addition, endogenous production of IFN-I was shown to be essential for the adjuvant activity of CFA. Finally, IFN-I enhanced the antibody response and induced isotype switching when dendritic cells were the only cell type responding to IFN-I. The data reveal the potent adjuvant activity of IFN-I and their important role in linking innate and adaptive immunity.