The effect of interferon on cells persistently infected with HIV.

In this study the effect of interferon (IFN) on uninfected cells (H9-) and cells infected (H9+) with HIV-1 was investigated. In both H9- and H9+, IFN was unable to inhibit Sindbis virus replication. HIV-1 replication was inhibited by a maximum of 22% at 1000 U/ml of IFN. In both H9- and H9+ cells IFN exhibited a limited antiproliferative effect. There was activation of the 2'-5' oligo-A-synthetase (E enzyme) and the protein kinase enzyme systems, but low activation of the ribonuclease F was seen in both H9- and H9+ cells. From these results it can be concluded that IFN produces a limited antiviral and antiproliferative effect in both H9- and H9+ cells, and a defective ribonuclease F pathway might be responsible for this limited activity.