title: Presence of interferon in acute- and convalescent-phase sera of humans with influenza or influenza-like illness of undetermined etiology.
abstract: Interferon (IFN;titer, greater than 10 units) was present in the acute-phase sera of 30 of 40 subjects with culture and/or serologically documented, naturally acquired influenza A/Brazil/78 (H1N1) and in the acute-phase sera of five of 27 subjects with an influenza-like illness of undetermined etiology. No statistical correlation existed between the quantity of IFN in acute-phase serum and the course of the clinical illness. Antiviral activity in all of nine acute-phase sera and three of four sera obtained on the fifth to seventh days of illness was neutralized to greater than 50% by antibody to virus-induced human leukocyte IFN (HuIFN-alpha). In contrast, none of five sera collected between 21 and 23 days after the onset of illness contained IFN sensitive to neutralization by antibody to HuIFN-alpha. Resistance of IFN in convalescent-phase sera to neutralization by antibody to HuIFN-alpha suggests that multiple IFN species may evolve during viral infections.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000097:blood*; D007372:Interferons / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D012328:RNA Viruses / Q000254:growth & development; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000254:growth & development; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007372:Interferons