Abstract
Abstract
Cells attached to intrauterine devices (IUDs) release interferon (IFN) in the medium during incubation in vitro. Most of the IFN is released during the first hour suggesting that the cells had been previously induced and were probably already producing IFN in vivo. Characterization of the IFN indicates that most of it is of gamma-type with a trace of alpha. Production of IFN in the uterine fluid would represent a first example of the physiological IFN response and may serve to modulate some of the mechanisms preventing implantation of blastocyst. The actual presence of IFN in the uterine secretion remains to be demonstrated.
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