[Current state of national or international standards of interferons and cytokines].
Expert committee on Biological standardization (ECBS) of WHO had asked for an advisory committee for preparation of WHO international cytokine standards because of complexities by the rapid increase of number of cytokine molecules some of which are entered into clinical trials. The new meeting of the WHO informal Consultation on Cytokine standards was started from last spring and going to be held annually. The main mission of the committee was considered to be promoting the use of WHO international cytokine standards and reference materials etc., which must be available world wide. Various standard preparations of cytokines and growth factors are available at the National Institute of Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) in the United Kingdom, some of which have been accepted by WHO as international standards (Table 1). Japanese national standards which had been prepared before establishment of WHO standards, and being labeled as Japanese reference Units (JRU) have to be calibrated with WHO standards to know International Units (IU). Japanese national references of IL-2 and TNF alpha were calibrated by collaboration with related companies and NIH Japan and the concluded results are obtained as follows. IL-2 (rec. DNA):1JRU = 1 IU TNF alpha (rec. DNA):1JRU = 35 IU
Kohase
M
M
Department of Viral Disease and Vaccine Control National Institute of Health Japan, Musashimurayama.
D016207:Cytokines / Q000592:standards*; D007372:Interferons / Q000592:standards*; D007564:Japan; D014944:World Health Organization
D016207:Cytokines; D007372:Interferons