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IFN-lambda (IFNλ) is a member of the type III IFN family and is reported to possess anti-pathogen, anti-cancer, and immunomodulatory properties; however, there are limited data regarding its impact on host immune responses in vivo. We performed longitudinal and comprehensive immunosurveillance to assess the ability of pegylated (peg)-IFNλ to augment antiviral host immunity as part of a clinical trial assessing the efficacy of peg-IFNλ in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. These patients were pretreated with directly acting antiviral therapy (entecavir) for 12 weeks with subsequent addition of peg-IFNλ for up to 32 weeks. In a subgroup of patients, the addition of peg-IFNλ provoked high serum levels of antiviral cytokine IL-18. We also observed the enhancement of natural killer cell polyfunctionality and the recovery of a pan-genotypic HBV-specific CD4+ T cells producing IFN-γ with maintenance of HBV-specific CD8+ T cell antiviral and cytotoxic activities. It was only in these patients that we observed strong virological control with reductions in both viral replication and HBV antigen levels. Here, we show for the first time that in vivo peg-IFNλ displays significant immunostimulatory properties with improvements in the main effectors mediating anti-HBV immunity. Interestingly, the maintenance in HBV-specific CD8+ T cells in the presence of peg-IFNλ is in contrast to previous studies showing that peg-IFNα treatment for CHB results in a detrimental effect on the functionality of this important antiviral T cell compartment.
Soil frequently occurs as a contaminant on numerous sea, land and air transport pathways. It can carry unwanted invasive species, is widely recognized as a biosecurity risk, and is usually strictly regulated by biosecurity authorities. However, little is known about relative risk levels between pathways, thus authorities have limited capability to identify and target the riskiest soil pathways for management. We conducted a an experiment to test the hypotheses that biosecurity risks from soil organisms will increase both with declining transport duration and with increasing protection from environmental extremes. Soil was collected from two sites, a native forest remnant and an orchard, and stored on, in and under sea containers, or in cupboards, and assayed after 0, 3, 6 and 12 months for bacteria, fungi, nematodes and seeds. Results showed that viability of Pseudomonas spp., bacteria, nematodes and plants declined over 12 months, irrespective of soil source. Also, mortality of most biota was higher when exposed to sunlight, moisture and desiccation than when protected. However, bacterial and fungal numbers were higher in exposed environments, possibly due to ongoing colonization of exposed soil by airborne propagules. The results were consistent with our observations of organisms in soil intercepted from airports and sea ports, and indicated there is potential to rank risks from transported soils based partly on transport duration and environmental exposure. This would help authorities to optimally allocate management resources according to pathway-specific risks.