Two Antigenically Distinct Species of Human Interferon

Rabbit antisera prepared against interferon produced in human fibroblast cell cultures stimulated with poly(I)· poly(C) neutralized the activity of interferon preparations produced in various human fibroblast cultures stimulated either with poly(I)· poly(C) or with viruses. However, these antisera showed no detectable neutralizing activity against interferon produced in cultures of human leukocytes. On the other hand, most rabbit antisera against the human leukocyte interferon were active in neutralizing both homologous interferon and fibroblast interferons. A preparation of antiserum against leukocyte interferon, active against both leukocyte and fibroblast interferons, was shown by affinity chromatography to have two distinct antibody populations, one of which was specific for the fibroblast interferon. We conclude that the heterologous neutralizing activity of sera from rabbits immunized with leukocyte interferon is likely to be due to the presence of two antigenic species of interferon. The major antigenic species of leukocyte interferon preparations (designated ``Le'') is distinct from human fibroblast interferon. The minor species of leukocyte interferon (``F'') is either identical with, or closely related to, interferon produced in human fibroblast cultures.