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Infect Immun. 1971 November; 4(5): 581-588
Copyright © 1971 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Enhancement of Phagocytosis by Interferon-Containing Preparations

Department of Microbiology, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C. 20005
Department of Microbiology, Naval Medical Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20014

ABSTRACT

Exposure of mononuclear cells from the mouse peritoneal cavity to interferon (IF)-containing mouse sera enhanced phagocytosis of colloidal carbon particles by the cells. The same effect was observed when the cells were exposed to IF-containing cell culture harvest free of serum. The magnitude of this effect of IF-containing preparations paralleled the titer of IF and was not related to the dilution of various IF-containing serum specimens tested. The factor responsible for the enhancing effect was stable at pH 2, inactivated by trypsin, and nonsedimentable at 105,000 x g. Heating at 60 C for 1 hr destroyed it, and its kinetics of heat inactivation paralleled that of the antiviral activity of IF. A period of incubation of phagocytic cells with IF-containing serum was necessary before a maximum level of enhancement was reached, and once established was not removable by repeated washing of cells. The kinetics of the production of the enhancing factor in mice injected with Newcastle disease virus was essentially identical to that of the simultaneous production of IF as measured by antiviral activity. Contrary to the effect of mouse IF preparations, human IF preparation did not enhance the activity of mouse phagocytes. It appears, therefore, that the phagocytosis-enhancing factor falls within the present definition of IF.

¹ This investigation was completed while the senior author was a Guest Scientist at Naval Medical Research Institute.

² Part of this report was submitted in partial satisfaction of requirements for the M.S. degree, Department of Microbiology, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 20005.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Schultz, R., Papamatheakis, J., Chirigos, M. (1977). Interferon: an inducer of macrophage activation by polyanions. Science 197: 674-676 [Abstract]  
• Carter, W. A., De Clercq, E. (1974). Viral Infection and Host Defense. Science 186: 1172-1178 [Abstract]