Interferon, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1973 Theory and Applications

Interferon has been and continues to be one of the more fas­ cinating substances produced by apparently all animals in response to particular stimuli. It has led to major revisions in concepts of cellular immunity and theories on the recovery of multicellular systems from viral infection. Since its discovery, interferon has held the interest of the molecular biologist, and definitive answers as to its clinical value are close at hand. The following treatise is an attempt by the authors to pre­ sent a complete picture of the many aspects of interferon. Having recently had the privilege of visiting the laboratories of the au­ thors and several others of our Soviet colleagues working in the interferon field, I was most impressed with the amount of research being done in this area. Since a great deal of this work is published in the Russian language, there is unfortunately a time lag until it can be received and translated. We are therefore most grateful to Drs. Solov'ev and Bektemirov for having produced this impres­ sive work which offers the opportunity to review the entire field and, very importantly, some of the work being done by our Soviet counterparts, and also to Plenum Publishing Corporation for pro­ viding the English translation. Work on the mechanism of interferon induction, the relative role of the cellular constituents, and work in cell-free systems and the molecular mechanism of the antiviral action of interferon continues to excite scientists in the field.

I. The Properties of Interferon. The Formation and Action of Interferon Induced in Cell Cultures and Chick Embryos.- 1. The Principal Properties of Interferon.- 1.1. Physicochemical properties.- 1.2. Species specificity.- 1.3. Antigenic properties.- 1.4. Conclusion.- 2. The Formation of Interferon in Cell Cultures and Chick Embryos.- 2.1. The interferon-inducing activity of viruses.- 2.1.1. The interferon-inducing action of poxviruses.- 2.1.2. The interferon-inducing activity of myxoviruses.- 2.1.3. The interferon-inducing activity of rhabdoviruses.- 2.1.4. The interferon-inducing activity of herpes viruses.- 2.1.5. The interferon-inducing activity of arboviruses.- 2.1.6. The interferon-inducing activity of other viruses.- 2.2. Nonviral induction of interferon in cell cultures.- 2.3. Factors influencing the intensity of interferon production.- 2.4. Comparative study of the induction of interferon by viruses in different cell cultures.- 2.5. Dynamics of formation and liberation of interferon in cell cultures.- 2.6. Blocking of the formation and action of interferon by viruses.- 2.7. Conclusion.- 3. The Action of Interferon in Cell Cultures.- 3.1. The sensitivity of viruses and cells to inferferon.- 3.2. Methods of indication and assay of interferon.- 3.3. Studies of the sensitivity of some virus-cell systems to interferon.- 3.4. Conclusion.- 4. Interferon Production by Human and Animal Leukocytes.- 4.1. Interferon production by rabbit and mouse blood leukocytes.- 4.2. Interferon production by monkey blood leukocytes.- 4.3. Interferon production by suspensions of human leukocytes.- 4.3.1. Importance of the blood group.- 4.3.2. Effect of incubation medium for leukocytes with virus on quantity of interferon formed.- 4.3.3. Effect of leukocyte concentration in suspension on interferon production.- 4.3.4. Effect of reaction of the medium.- 4.3.5. Effect of incubation temperature.- 4.3.6. Importance of the species of inducing virus and the multiplicity of infection.- 4.3.7. Dynamics of interferon production by human leukocytes.- 4.3.8. The properties of leukocytic interferon.- 4.4. Interferon production in growing cultures of human leukocytes.- 4.5. Conclusion.- II. Effect of Exogenous Interferon and Stimulators of Endogenous Interferon on Virus Infections.- 5. Effect of Exogenous Interferon on Virus Infections.- 5.1. Action of exogenous interferon on experimental virus infections.- 5.2. Clinical trials of exogenous interferon.- 5.3. Conclusion.- 6. Effect of Stimulators of Endogenous Interferon on Experimental Virus Infections.- 6.1. Stimulation of endogenous interferon by intravenous and other methods of injection of inducers of virus origin.- 6.2. Effect of virus inducers of interferon formation on experimental virus infections.- 6.3. Stimulation of endogenous interferon by double-stranded RNAs and their effect on virus infection.- 6.4. Stimulation of endogenous interferon by other nonviral inducers and its effect on experimental virus infection.- 6.5. Tolerance or hyporeactivity in interferon production.- 6.6. Conclusion.- 7. Clinical Trials of Stimulators of Endogenous Interferon.- 7.1. Stimulation of endogenous interferon in man and its effect on virus infections.- 7.2. Interferon-inducing properties of living influenza vaccine virus.- 7.3. Interferon-inducing properties of partially UV-inactivated A2 influenza virus.- 7.4. Interferon-inducing properties of inactivated viruses.- 7.5. Effect of stimulators of endogenous interferon on survival of influenza vaccine virus.- 7.6. Conclusion.- III. Interferon Formation and Virus Infection.- 8. Interferon Formation in the Body during Virus Infections and Its Pathogenic Role.- 8.1. Interferon formation in virus infections of animals.- 8.2. Interferon formation in human virus infections.- 8.3. Effect of various factors on interferon production in vivo.- 8.4. Interferon production in the immune organism.- 8.5. The role of interferon in the pathogenesis of virus infections.- 8.6. A study of interferon formation in vivo and in vitro (by leukocytes) in experimental virus infections.- 8.6.1. Interferon formation in experimental influenza.- 8.6.2. Interferon formation in experimental ectromelia.- 8.6.3. Interferon formation in experimental Western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE).- 8.6.4. Interferon formation in vivo in animals of different ages.- 8.6.5. Individual differences in interferon formation.- 8.6.5.1. Individual differences in serum interferon production in noninbred and inbred mice.- 8.6.5.2. Individual interferon production in mice infected with WEE virus.- 8.6.5.3. Individual differences in serum interferon production in rabbits and guinea pigs.- 8.6.6. Effect of cooling, internal irradiation, and ACTH on production of serum interferon in mice.- 8.7. Relationship between interferon formation and sensitivity of animals to some virus infections.- 8.7.1. Relationship between interferon formation and reproduction of viruses in chick embryos of different ages.- 8.7.2. Relationship between the reproduction of WEE virus and interferon formation in the mouse brain.- 8.7.3. Relationship between individual interferon formation and susceptibility of animals to WEE virus and to fixed rabies virus.- 8.7.4. Relationship between individual interferon formation and skin reaction of rabbits to vaccinia virus.- 8.8 Relationship between the pathogenicity and interferon-inducing ability of strains of vaccinia virus.- 8.9. Conclusion.- 9. Interferon Formation in Man under Normal and Pathological Conditions.- 9.1. Interferon production by leukocytes of healthy persons of different ages. Detection of interferon in the urine and serum.- 9.2. Interferon production by the leukocytes of newborn infants.- 9.3. Production of leukocytic interferon by patients with leukemia.- 9.4. Production of leukocytic interferon in other internal diseases.- 9.5. Interferon formation in children vaccinated against smallpox.- 9.6. Interferon production in adults with influenza.- 9.7. Interferon production in children with acute respiratory virus infections and its correlation with the production of leukocytic interferon.- 9.8. Conclusion.- Mechanism of Formation and Action of Interferon.- Conclusions and Prospects.