The mechanisms responsible for the virulence of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and of the 1918 pandemic influenza virus in humans remain poorly understood. To identify crucial components of the early host response during these infections by using both conventional and functional genomics tools, we studied 34 cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) to compare a 2004 human H5N1 Vietnam isolate with 2 reassortant viruses possessing the 1918 hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) surface proteins, known conveyors of virulence. One of the reassortants also contained the 1918 nonstructural (NS1) protein, an inhibitor of the host interferon response. Among these viruses, HPAI H5N1 was the most virulent. Within 24 h, the H5N1 virus produced severe bronchiolar and alveolar lesions. Notably, the H5N1 virus targeted type II pneumocytes throughout the 7-day infection, and induced the most dramatic and sustained expression of type I interferons and inflammatory and innate immune genes, as measured by genomic and protein assays. The H5N1 infection also resulted in prolonged margination of circulating T lymphocytes and notable apoptosis of activated dendritic cells in the lungs and draining lymph nodes early during infection. While both 1918 reassortant viruses also were highly pathogenic, the H5N1 virus was exceptional for the extent of tissue damage, cytokinemia, and interference with immune regulatory mechanisms, which may help explain the extreme virulence of HPAI viruses in humans.1918 pandemic ͉ functional genomics ͉ H5N1

Sphingosine-1-phosphate is a bioactive lipid that is mitogenic for human glioma cell lines by signaling through its G protein-coupled receptors. We investigated the role of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors and the enzymes that form sphingosine-1-phosphate, sphingosine kinase (SphK)-1, and -2 in human astrocytomas. Astrocytomas of various histologic grades expressed three types of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors, S1P1, S1P2, and S1P3; however, no significant correlation with histologic grade or patient survival was detected. Expression of SphK1, but not SphK2, in human astrocytoma grade 4 (glioblastoma multiforme) tissue correlated with short patient survival. Patients whose tumors had low SphK1 expression survived a median 357 days, whereas those with high levels of SphK1 survived a median 102 days. Decreasing SphK1 expression using RNA interference or pharmacologic inhibition of SphK significantly decreased the rate of proliferation of U-1242 MG and U-87 MG glioblastoma cell lines. Surprisingly, RNA interference to knockdown SphK2 expression inhibited glioblastoma cell proliferation more potently than did SphK1 knockdown. SphK knockdown also prevented cells from exiting G1 phase of the cell cycle and marginally increased apoptosis. Thus, SphK isoforms may be major contributors to growth of glioblastoma cells in vitro and to aggressive behavior of glioblastoma multiforme.

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Constitutive expression of the pro-molecule of IL-16 has been found in T cells, mast cells, eosinophils, epithelial cells, fibroblasts, and dendritic cells. Here we show that IL-16 is also constitutively present in >98% of freshly isolated human CD14-positive peripheral blood monocytes when analyzed by flow cytometry. Because pro-IL-16 is cleaved to its bioactive mature form by caspase-3, and caspase-3 is also the pivotal effector of apoptosis in monocytes, we asked whether IL-16 release occurs in monocytes that undergo spontaneous apoptosis. As expected, freshly isolated, unstimulated monocytes underwent spontaneous caspase-3 activation. This apoptosis was paralleled by the loss of intracellular IL-16, as detected by flow cytometry, and the concurrent release of IL-16, as detected by ELISA. In contrast, stimulation with bacterial LPS inhibited caspase-3 activation and significantly inhibited the release of IL-16. As a specificity control, IL-1β and IL-8 were not released during spontaneous monocyte apoptosis. In summary, our data demonstrate that monocytes contain IL-16 that is released during spontaneous apoptosis.