Interferon production by cultured murine splenocytes in response to influenza virus-infected cells.

Murine splenic lymphocytes cultured for 18 h with either irradiated syngeneic cells infected with influenza A/PR/8/34 virus or irradiated allogeneic cells infected with the same virus release significant quantities of alpha interferon (IFN-alpha) in 24 h. Uninfected allogeneic cells, which are potent stimulators of both lymphocyte proliferation and cytolytic T lymphocytes, failed to induce detectable level of IFN under the same conditions. Cells derived from naive and virus-primed animals gave similar responses to these stimulae. The phenotype of the cells interacting in vitro to these conditions is discussed.