Induction of gamma-interferon activity by elevated temperatures in human B-lymphoblastoid cell lines.

Abstract
When the human B-lymphoblastoid cell lines GM3299 ad GM4408 were heat shocked, elevated levels of antiviral activity were detected. This antiviral activity was characterized as the result of de novo synthesis of interferon (IFN) .gamma.. Levels of antiviral activity as high as 20,000 U/ml per 106 cells were found after heat treatment. By using anti-IFN-.alpha. and anti-IFN-.gamma. sera, it was shown that the high antiviral activity in GM3299 after heat shock is due to a synergistic effect of constitutively produced IFN-.alpha. and induced IFN-.gamma.