Production of Interferon by Long-term Suspension Cultures of Leukocytes Derived from Patients with Viral and Nonviral Diseases

Previous reports have shown that peripheral leukocytes may be established in continuous culture from patients with a variety of diseases and also from "normal" persons [1-5]. The production of interferon has already been reported from long-term cultures of white cells derived from patients with leukemia, lymphoma [6], infectious mononucleosis [7], and viral hepatitis [8]. This paper reports the production of interferon by long-term cultures of white cells derived from patients with viral diseases (herpes simplex, mumps, herpes zoster, rubeola) and also from patients with nonviral diseases (sarcoid, rheumatic fever, multiple myeloma) and Burkitt's lymphoma. An investigation was also made to determine whether long-term cultures of white cells derived from patients with infections with herpes simplex and mumps produced interferon in association with