title: A comparison of interferon responses to poly ICLC in males and females.
abstract: Interferon (IFN) responses to polyriboinosinic acid polyribocytidylic acid in poly-L-lysine and carboxymethylcellulose (poly ICLC) have been studied in detail in 6 men and 3 women as part of a preliminary trial in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Patients received intravenous (i.v.) doses of 100 micrograms/kg poly ICLC, and serum IFN levels were determined serially every 4 h for 16 h. Men and women produced substantial levels of IFN at 8, 12, and 16 h after infusion, but levels in men were consistently and significantly higher (p less than 0.05). Interferon responses were examined also in 3 male and 3 female Rhesus monkeys. Serum samples were obtained 8 and 24 h after i.v. injections of 1 mg/kg of poly ICLC. Again, there were significantly higher levels of IFN in males. The observed differences may reflect sex-linked differences in either drug metabolism or specific sensitivity to IFN induction by poly ICLC. The most interesting possibility is that the difference is due to a more general difference in IFN response between males and females. Studies are currently in progress to evaluate these possibilities.
authors.affiliation: Neuroimmunology Branch, NINCDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD.
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Bever
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: McFarlin
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007369:Interferon Inducers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007372:Interferons / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D011070:Poly I-C / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011107:Polylysine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D007369:Interferon Inducers; D011107:Polylysine; C019531:poly ICLC; D007372:Interferons; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium; D011070:Poly I-C