MICROTITER ASSAY FOR ANTIVIRAL EFFECTS OF HUMAN AND MURINE INTERFERON UTILIZING A VERTICAL LIGHT PATH PHOTOMETER FOR QUANTITATION

Publisher Summary Human lymphocytes are the source of interferon produced in response to mitogens and antigens, and macrophages enhance such interferon production by the lymphocytes. The type of interferon produced by stimulated lymphocytes was formerly called type II or immune interferon and by the new nomenclature for interferon, it is at present called IFN-γ. This chapter discusses the use of microtiter assay for the antiviral effects of human and murine interferon utilizing a vertical light path photometer for quantitation. In this assay, the concentration of interferon contained in the dilution of the unknown sample producing 50% protection is equated with the concentration of the standard producing 50% protection. By taking into account the dilution factor of the unknown sample, the concentration of interferon in the original unknown sample is calculated. One of the most crucial aspects of this assay, especially to obtain excellent reproducibility when quantitated on Titertek Multiskan, is a homogeneous and well-stained monolayer in each well.