When influenza viruses infect to airway, it is thought that hypothiocyanous acid (HOSCN), an oxidant with anti-influenza virus activity,is produced by the catalysis of peroxidases such as myeloperoxidase (MPO) andlactoperoxidase (LPO).However, the actions of HOSCN on host cells are poorly understood. In this study, we examined the effects of HOSCN on the expression of cytokines in airway epithelial cells. Human airway epithelial (NCI-H292) cells were exposed to HOSCN that generated in LPO/glucose oxidase/SCN- culture system. The gene expression of cytokines was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and the concentration of cytokines also was measured by ELISA method. We found that HOSCN induced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, IL-8, TNF-, IL-1and M-CSF, but it did not doGM-CSF. The results suggest that HOSCN may contribute to the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines during influenza viral infection. And also it may impact on the balance of M1/M2 development of macrophages, because M-CSF plays an important role for the differentiation of macrophagestoward M2 phenotype.
