Hong Kong Med J 2013;19(Suppl 4):S29-35
Role of cyclooxygenase-2 in H5N1 viral pathogenesis and the potential use of its inhibitors
MY Lee, CY Cheung, JSM Peiris
Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong
1. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), along with TNF-α and other proinflammatory cytokines, was hyperinduced in H5N1-infected macrophages in vitro and in epithelial cells of autopsied lung tissues of infected patients.
2. The COX-2 mediated amplification of the proinflammatory response is rapid, and the effects elicited by the H5N1-triggered proinflammatory cascade are broader than those arising from direct viral infection.
3. Selective COX-2 inhibitors suppress the H5N1-hyperinduced cytokines in the proinflammatory cascade.
2. The COX-2 mediated amplification of the proinflammatory response is rapid, and the effects elicited by the H5N1-triggered proinflammatory cascade are broader than those arising from direct viral infection.
3. Selective COX-2 inhibitors suppress the H5N1-hyperinduced cytokines in the proinflammatory cascade.