Abstract
Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus was shown to grow in in vitro cultures of human monocytes. Interferon (IFN)-α and IFN-γ inhibited JE virus production by the infected monocytes in the absence of anti-JE virus antibody, but interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-2, IL-3, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocyte-CSF (G-CSF), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α did not show a significant inhibition. Antibody against JE virus increased the JE virus production by the infected monocytes probably by enhanced uptake of virus-antibody complexes via Fc receptors. IFN-γ and GM-CSF increased JE virus production by monocytes in the presence of anti-JE virus antibody, whereas IFN-α inhibited JE virus production even in the presence of the antibody. The other 5 cytokines (IL-1α, IL-2, IL-3, G-CSF, and TNF-α) did not show a significant effect on JE virus production by monocytes in the presence or absence of the antibody.
