PHENOTYPE OF HUMAN ALPHA-INTERFERON PRODUCING LEUKOCYTES IDENTIFIED BY MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 52  (1) , 179-184
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies with specificities for subsets of human leukocytes were used for the characterization of .alpha.-interferon (.alpha.-IFN) producing cells. The production of .alpha.-IFN was demonstrated to be a function of Ia+ leukocytes. OKT3+ T lymphocytes, BA-1+ B lymphocytes and Leu 7+ natural killer (NK) cells did not contribute to the production of .alpha.-IFN. OKM1+ monocytes were essential for the production of .alpha.-IFN in response to bacterial products or leukemia cells, but were not required for the synthesis of virus- or poly I:C[polyinosinic:cytidylic]-induced .alpha.-IFN. .alpha.-IFN producing cells represent a heterogenous population of cells of the myeloid lineage.