17 - The Comparative Biology of Immune and Classical Interferons

Abstract

Publisher Summary Mitogen-stimulated human leukocyte interferon has less stability to a prolonged exposure to the extremes of pH and to a brief exposure to heat than virus-stimulated human leukocyte interferon. The type of interferon produced in leukocyte cultures in association with the proliferation of lymphocytes in response to mitogens, sensitized lymphocytes in response to specific bacterial or viral antigens, or in vivo in animals sensitized to bacillus calmette guerin (BCG) with old tuberculin (OT) or purified protein derivative (PPD) has been termed immune or Type II interferon. This chapter discusses the comparison of classical and immune interferon with regard to production, characterization, mechanism of action, role as an antiviral agent, effects on the immune response, and other nonantiviral effects. It describes clinical studies investigating the production of classical or immune interferon as a measure of the competence of the producing cell type or the use of classical interferon as a therapeutic agent. Both classical and immune interferons are heterogeneous, within their respective class and with regard to each other. Several different molecular forms of classical interferon exist, and they differ from one another in their physical properties and antigenic configuration. Immune and classical interferons are the variants of the same substance.