Activated interferon system in healthy homosexual men.

More than 50% of a group of healthy homosexuals in Israel were found to have an activated interferon (IFN) system as evidenced by markedly elevated blood IFN levels, increased in vitro production of IFN by unstimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells and HuIFN-alpha and HuIFN-gamma production by appropriately stimulated cells, and a surprisingly high incidence of an antiviral state of cells. This pattern resembles that found in persons with acute viral illness, and is unlike that found in normal healthy controls. The type of IFN in the blood was found to be unusual in that it was mainly HuIFN-alpha, pH 2-labile, a type of IFN found in certain collagen diseases as well as in homosexual men suffering from Kaposi's sarcoma or lymphadenopathy.

(2'-5') Oligo A synthetase in human polymorphonuclear cells increased activity in interferon treatment and in viral infections.

The interferon (IFN)-induced enzyme 2-5A synthetase was found in human peripheral blood polymorphonuclear cells (PMNL). The average enzyme activity in a group of 15 patients with various viral infections was significantly higher (25-fold) than in healthy individuals. Eight patients with multiple sclerosis and six patients with bacterial infections were found to have normal 2-5A synthetase levels in the PMNL.

Interferon anti-viral system in Bell's palsy.

Thirty-two consecutive Bell's palsy patients were examined clinically and virologically. All the patients were assayed for serum interferon (IFN) levels at onset of the disease and most of them had repeated IFN assays during the course of the disease. In 15 patients the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were also evaluated for the presence of an anti-viral state (AVS).