Human leukocyte interferon was injected into nine patients with cytomegalovirus infections; four of these patients were congenitally infected, and five had acquired infections. In three patients viruria was completely inhibited. In five patients viral excretion in the urine was only transiently inhibited. Viremia was not significantly suppressed. The lymphocyte response to phytohemagglutinin was suppressed in two patients.Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been associated with long-term, chronic infections in humans and causes the most common type of congenital infection. CMV has the ability to cross the placenta and to produce chronic infection in the fetus; such infection leads to serious pathologic changes or death. About 1.5% of all newborns excreting CMV in the urine after birth in one study [1] and approximately 3.3 % of viruric newborns in other studies [2,3] have had the classical signs of congenital CMV infection. Disseminated infection with CMV occurs in adults who have malignancies or who are taking corticosteroids [4], in children with leukemia [5,6] or lymphosarcoma [7], and in patients who have had renal or bone-marrow transplantation [8,9].There is no established treatment for congenital or disseminated infection with cytomegalovirus. Only a few studies employing adequate virological monitoring of antiviral chemotherapy have been reported, and these studies revealed variable results in a small number of patients. FIuorodeoxyuridine, iododeoxyuridine, or cytosine arabinoside did not significantly alter the clinical course of illness or viral excretion [10][11][12].Evidence exists that interferon may be one de- terminant of host resistance to viral infections [13][14][15]. In a non randomized study we have observed a possible antiviral effect of exogenous human leukocyte interferon in the treatment of local and generalized infections with herpes simplex virus and varicella-zoster virus [15,16]. Falcoff has reported a beneficial effect of exogenous amniotic interferon in the treatment of congenital CMV infection [17]. Our study was initiated to examine the effect of human leukocyte interferon on the rate of excretion of CMV in the urine and in fractions of the buffy coat of patients who are chronic carriers of CMV.
Materials and MethodsHuman leukocyte interferon was prepared in our laboratory. Details regarding production, purification, standardization, and sterilization of this preparation have been described previously [15]. Interferon levels in administered preparations were assayed by microtitration techniques; vesicular stomatitis virus was inhibited in human foreskin fibroblast monolayers [18].Isolations of virus from urine, leukocytes, and lymphocytes were based on growth and cytopathological characteristics. Clean urine was collected daily for a period of at least 20 days and processed immediately. Each of five tubes of confluent cultures of WI-38 human fibroblasts in Eagle's minimal essential medium (MEM) containing 2% inactivated fetal calf serum was inoculated with 0.4 ml of MiIIipore-filtered urin...
To determine the effect of interferon on the production of antibodies against hepatitis B virus, recombinant alpha-interferon was added only to the fifth vaccine injection in a non-responder group and to all three initial vaccine injections in a low-responder group. In the non-responder group, 27% of the hemodialysis patients, 7% of the renal transplant patients, and both medical staff members tested developed low serum concentrations of anti-HBs (less than 25 mU/ml). Whereas in the low-responder group 60% of the hemodialysis patients developed the same amount of antibodies as a placebo group of comparable patients (greater than or equal to 25 mU/ml), 78% of the renal transplant patients showed a 25% higher antibody concentration than a placebo group (half less than 25 mU/ml;half less than 50 mU/ml). According to these preliminary findings alpha-interferon may have an adjuvant effect on hepatitis B vaccination.
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