INTERFERON-PRODUCTION AND LYMPHOCYTE STIMULATION IN HUMAN LEUKOCYTE-CULTURES STIMULATED BY CORNYNEBACTERIUM-PARVUM

Abstract

Killed C. parvum [Propionibacterium acnes] organisms stimulated a lymphoproliferative response in human peripheral leukocyte cultures of adult and cord blood origin. They also induced high titers of interferon in cultures of adult leukocytes, but there was no correlation between the degree of lymphocyte stimulation and of interferon production. A considerable variability between donors was seen in both assays. The amount of interferon produced in C. parvum-stimulated cultures was considerably higher than that stimulated by the T[thymus-derived]-cell mitogens PHA [phytohemagglutinin] and Con [concanavalin] A and that induced by LPS [Escherichia coli] lipopolysaccharide. The anti-viral protein induced by C. parvum fulfilled the criteria of interferon and appeared to represent type II interferon.