Inflammasome activation and IL-1? and IL-18 processing during infection

• Autores: Franck L. van de Veerdonck, Mihai G. Netea, Charles A. Dinarello, Leo A. B. Joosten
• Localización: Trends in immunology, ISSN 1471-4906, Vol. 32, Nº. 3, 2011, págs. 110-116
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Interleukin-1? (IL-1?) and IL-18 contribute to host defense against infection by augmenting antimicrobial properties of phagocytes and initiating Th1 and Th17 adaptive immune responses. Protein complexes called inflammasomes activate intracellular caspase-1 autocatalytically, which cleaves the inactive precursors of IL-1? and IL-18 into bioactive cytokines. In this review, we discuss the controversies regarding inflammasome activation and the role of the inflammasome during infection. We highlight alternative mechanisms for processing IL-1? and IL-18 during infection, which involve extracellular cleavage of the inactive cytokines by neutrophil-derived serine proteases or proteases released from cytotoxic T cells.