[Interferon induction in lymphocytes using a bacterial lysate].

A polyvalent bacterial lysate (IRS 19) could be shown to induce interferon (IFN) in peripheral mononuclear leukocytes isolated from human and mouse blood by density gradient centrifugation. Upon stimulation with optimal doses of the inducer, the cells of both species produced 1000 to 2000 IU IFN/ml when cultured for up to 72 hours. In both systems the interferon was released to the culture supernatants in a first wave from one to four hours after addition of the inducer and in a second beyond the 16th hour of incubation increasing up to 72 hours, this time, reaching a 10 fold higher titer.