Cytokines induced by Sendai virus in human peripheral blood leukocytes

Human peripheral blood leukocytes (hPBL) are a rich source of natural leukocyte interferon (IFN‐α) when treated with Sendai virus. Sendai virus treatment of hPBL will also result in significant production of several chemokines and cytokines such as macrophage inflammatory protein‐1α (MIP‐1α), MIP‐1β, RANTES, tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), and IL‐8, in a time‐dependent way. A significant amount of MCP‐1 is constitutively produced in overnight culture of leukocytes. The most abundant cytokine is IFN‐α, which is induced to its maximum level approximately 11–15 h after addition of Sendai virus. The amount of IFN‐α induced at 15 h after Sendai virus treatment is more than 16‐fold higher than those of MIP‐1α, MIP‐1β, and RANTES. IFN‐α is also induced more than 60‐fold higher than TNF‐α and IL‐8. The amount of IL‐6 induced is approximately 400‐fold less than IFN‐α. Limited amounts of other cytokines such as IL‐1α, IL‐1β, macrophage colony‐stimulating factor, TNF‐β, and IFN‐γ are also induced in Sendai virus‐treated hPBL. No measurable amount of granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor, granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor, leukemia inhibitory factor, IL‐2, IL‐3, IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐7, IL‐10, IL‐11, or IL‐12 was induced in the supernatant of Sendai virus‐treated hPBL.