Table 1.
Main characteristics of human IFN system (un update).
| IFN | Members | Main Cellular Source | Receptor | Receptor Expression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type I IFN | IFNα1/13, IFNα2,IFNα4, IFNα5, IFNα6, IFNα7, IFNα8, IFNα10, IFNα14, IFNα16,IFNα17, IFNα21 | pDCs, fibroblasts, macrophages | IFNA receptor R1 and R2 | Ubiquitous expression |
| IFNβ | ||||
| IFNε | ||||
| IFNκ | ||||
| IFNω | ||||
| Type II IFN | IFNγ | Natural killer cells,natural killer T cells, Th1 CD4, CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes | IFNG receptor R1and R2 | Ubiquitous expression |
| Type III IFN | IFNλ1, IFNλ2, IFNλ3, IFNλ4 | Epithelial cells, hepatocytes, pDCs, myeloid DCs and macrophages | IFNL receptor R1 | Expressed preferentially by epithelial cells |
| IL10 receptor R2 | Ubiquitous expression |