Autoantibodies Against Human Beta Interferon Following Treatment with Interferon

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Abstract
Recently we reported the appearance of human beta interferon (HuIFN-β) neutralizing antibodies in a patient with a nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated successfully with a preparation of HuIFN-β. This was the first report presenting evidence for antigenicity of IFN in an homologous system. In the present report we asked whether the unusual appearance of antibodies was due to a genetic defect of the patient's cells to produce HuIFN-β or whether the patient's cells produce an antigenically different variant of HuIFN-β. We demonstrate that a fibroblast cell strain established from this patient produces HuIFN-β which does not from a serological standpoint react differently from the HuIFN-β preparation administered. The conclusion is drawn that the antibodies against therapeutic HuIFN-β are reacting like autoantibodies with the patient's own HuIFN-β.