Transcriptional profile of human monocyte-derived macrophages stimulated with Interleukin 27

Interleukin 27 (IL-27) is a member of the IL-6 and/or IL-12 family that elicits both pro- and anti-inflammatory responses. Interferons (IFNs) are a family of cytokines that activate the JAK-STAT signaling pathway to induce an antiviral state in cells. Recent studies have reported that IL-27 also induces a robust antiviral response against diverse viruses, both in vitro and in vivo, suggest that IFNs and IL-27 share many similarities at the functional level. However, it is still unknown how similar or different IFN- and IL-27-dependent signaling pathways are. We reported that IFNs and IL-27 activate JAK-STAT signaling and induce shared pro-inflammatory and antiviral pathways in monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs), leading to the common and unique expression of inflammatory factors and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). Importantly, the ability of IL-27 to induce those responses is independent of IFN induction and cellular lineage. Additionally, functional analysis demonstrated that like IFNs, IL-27-mediated response reduced chikungunya and dengue viruses replication in MDMs. In summary, IL-27 exhibits properties similar to those of all three types of human IFN, including the ability to stimulate a protective antiviral response.