RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Fattorini, L. A1 Xiao, Y. A1 Li, B. A1 Santoro, C. A1 Ippoliti, F. A1 Orefici, G.YR 1994 T1 Induction of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, GM-CSF and G-CSF in human macrophages by smooth transparent and smooth opaque colonial variants of Mycobacterium avium JF Journal of Medical Microbiology, VO 40 IS 2 SP 129 OP 133 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/00222615-40-2-129 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1473-5644, AB Summary Both smooth transparent (SmT) and smooth domed-opaque (SmD) colonial variants were obtained from a strain of Mycobacterium avium isolated from a patient with AIDS. The two variants showed similar biochemical characteristics but SmT bacteria proliferated better than SmD bacteria inside human macrophages and were much less capable than the SmD variant of inducing the release of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, GM-CSF and G-CSF, after incubation for either 3 or 6 days. As cytokines are important extracellular signals for immune cells, the lack of induction observed in SmT-infected macrophages may be one of the pathogenic mechanisms of M. avium., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/00222615-40-2-129