[Gamma interferon induced in human leukocytes by phytohemagglutinin: its production and biological characteristics]

Human gamma type interferon (IFN) preparations were obtained through phytohemagglutinin stimulation of leukocytes from the peripheral blood. Biological value of these preparations varied between 160 u and 800 u/ml, depending on leukocyte incubation medium, culture system and inductor conservation. The rising of the antiviral activity through association between gamma (3 u) and alpha (27 u) interferons was revealed by the virus quantity reduction (in this case the vesicular stomatitis virus was used) during a 24-hour multiplication cycle. The protection ensured by the mixture of the two types of interferon was about ten times higher than the additive effect of the two preparations. Study of the antiproliferative activity of a gamma interferon preparation was conducted on two human cell lines of tumoral origin (T-10 from a glioblastoma, and HEp-2) and revealed the difficulties to quantify precisely this property of the crude gamma interferon preparations.