Interferon status after measles virus infection.

Peripheral blood leucocytes from patients who had recently had measles infection were examined for their ability to produce alpha- or gamma-interferon, their antiviral state and the level of E enzyme. These results were compared with peripheral blood leucocytes from healthy control subjects. The results show that while peripheral blood leucocytes from control patients produced alpha- and gamma-interferon, those from the measles patients produced only alpha-interferon. The peripheral blood leucocytes from all the measles patients were in an antiviral state whereas those from only 20% of the controls were in this state. Since gamma-interferon is mainly produced by T lymphocytes, the lack of gamma-interferon production by peripheral blood leucocytes from patients with measles correlates with previously reported depressed T-cell function in patients after measles infection.