Abstract
Abstract
Low titers of antiviral activity were found in the cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) of herpes encephalitis patients when using a sensitive interferon assay. With this dye-uptake assay on human fibroblasts, trisomic for chromosome 21, 1 IU of human fibroblast or leukocyte interferon per milliliter can unequivocally be determined. Eight CSF samples taken during the first 10 days of illness were antivirally active whereas only 1 of 11 taken later proved positive. With the exception of one serum no interferon was found in the serum samples taken simultaneously with the CSF samples. By antibody neutralization using specific antisera against human fibroblast and leukocyte interferon it was found that the antivirally active substance is identical with or closely related to human leukocyte interferon.
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