Effects of Human Interferon on In Vitro Multiplication and Differentiation of Human Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines

Abstract

Namalva, P3HR-1, BALL-1, and NALL-1 cells were cultivated in the presence of a partially purified human interferon (HuIFN) preparation with a specific activity of 107 international reference units per mg protein. The cell viability and multiplication were examined. The viable cells were tested for complement receptor, surface immunoglobulins, and receptor for mouse erythrocytes, which are considered to be able to serve as differentiation markers. The IFN preparation suppressed cell division of Namalva cells without killing them, and slightly increased the percentage of cells positive for complement receptor. It did not affect the other differentiation markers examined. The cell division of P3HR-1 cells was markedly suppressed, but no changes in differentiation markers were observed. A remarkable percentage of BALL-1 cells were killed by the IFN preparation. Differentiation markers in surviving cells remained unchanged. The IFN preparation affected neither cell division nor differentiation markers of NALL-...