Priming with Interferon-α 1 or Interferon-α 2 Enhances the Production of Both Subtypes Simultaneously

Abstract

A short period of incubation with interferon-α ("priming") increases the amounts of IFN-α formed by human peripheral blood leukocytes when subsequently induced with a virus. We investigated specifically the effect of priming on the production of two individual subtypes, IFN-α₁ and IFN-α₂. The rate of interferon synthesis and the amounts formed were equally potentiated in leukocytes primed with either IFN-α₁ or IFN-α₂. Whichever of these was used for priming had no selective effect on the relative increased production of IFN-α₁ or IFN-α₂.