[Antiviral activity of oral ultralow doses of antibodies to gamma-interferon: experimental study of influenza infection in mice].

Course intragastric administration of ultralow doses of human gamma-interferon antibodies (ULD anti-IFN-gamma) to intact mice resulted in an increase of endogenous IFN-gamma production by the animal lymphocytes. Oral prophylactic administration of ULD anti-IFN-gamma significantly lowered the influenza virus concentration in the animal lungs at the initial stage of the aerogenous infection: in 2 (p = 0.05) and 3 (p = 0.07) days after the contamination. The therapeutic antiviral effect of ULD anti-IFN-gamma in mice with influenza was evident from a significant decrease of the influenza virus concentration in the lungs of the animals on the 4th (p = 0.05) and 5th (p = 0.07) days after the contamination. The antiviral effect of ULD anti-IFN-gamma after the prophylactic and therapeutic use is likely provided by induction of endogenous IFN-gamma.