Increased interferon release and morphological alteration in human cells by repeated exposure to double-stranded RNA.

Abstract

SUMMARY Human skin fibroblasts produced interferon of high titre after exposure to double-stranded polyriboinosinic-ribocytidylic acid (In.Cn). In contrast to rabbit kidney cells, ten strains of human skin fibroblasts released more interferon after a second and third exposure to In. Cn than after the first one. It is speculated that this hyperreactivity is due to increased accumulation of an interferon precursor or to less effective synthesis of repressors of interferon production. Repeated exposure resulted in a cytopathic effect which was quantitatively related to the amount of interferon induced.