Interferon and Cytomegalovirus in vivo and in vitro. ∗

Abstract

Summary

Evidence is presented which indicates that human cytomegalovirus is relatively insensitive to the antiviral action of interferon in vitro, and that the rate of excretion of cytomegalovirus in the urine of a chronic human carrier was unaltered by circulating levels of interferon in the serum. In human cells in culture, CMV failed to induce the production of detectable levels of interferon. It is suggested that these phenomena may be related to the capacity of the virus to persist in the infected host for long periods. Human cytomegalovirus was also shown to have the capacity to suppress the interferon response of cultures of human tissue infected with other viruses. The implication of this finding for possible synergistic effect of cytomegalovirus with other viruses is considered.