Interferon-producing capacity of human tonsil cells and properties of interferon produced by these cells.

Tonsils excised from human beings for chronic tonsillitis have been shown to be an accessible and sufficiently rich source of human lymphocytes. Tonsil cells produced interferon as intensively as blood leukocytes and the properties of this interferon were similar to those of leukocyte interferon. The optimal conditions for interferon production by tonsil cells were established.