Natural antibodies to IFN-gamma in man and their increase during viral infection.
Natural antibodies to IFN-gamma were found in healthy individuals ranging from newborn babies to adults and, at higher levels, in patients suffering from different viral infections. During a viral infection, the titer of anti-IFN-gamma antibodies was observed to be correlated with the stage of the disease. Antibodies specific to IFN-gamma were affinity purified both from sera taken from healthy individuals and sera from viral-infected patients, by using a rIFN-gamma-coupled CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B column. The antibodies were found to be of the IgG class, and maintained their ability to bind rIFN-gamma. They were then tested for neutralizing activity and none of the IgG preparations we analyzed impaired the antiviral activity of rIFN-gamma. This finding suggests that the antigenic determinants recognized by these antibodies on the IFN-gamma molecule are located outside the site, on the IFN-gamma molecule, responsible for its antiviral activity.
Institute of Microbiology, University of Brescia, Spedali Civili, Italy.
A
A
Caruso
C
C
Bonfanti
D
D
Colombrita
M
M
De Francesco
C
C
De Rango
I
I
Foresti
F
F
Gargiulo
R
R
Gonzales
G
G
Gribaudo
S
S
Landolfo
D000367:Age Factors; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015153:Blotting, Western; D000939:Epitopes; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013997:Time Factors; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology*
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D001323:Autoantibodies; D000939:Epitopes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma