Abstract
Specific polyclonal antisera to human interferon-α1 (HuIFN-α1), human interferon-α2 (HuIFN-α2) and human lymphoblastoid interferon (HuIFN-αLy Namalwa) have been raised in rabbits and sheep. The antisera raised against HuIFN-α1 and HuIFN-α2 strongly neutralized the antiviral activity of their homologous IFN-α subtypes, but were less active against the heterologous IFN-α subtypes and preparations containing mixtures of IFN-α subtypes, e.g. human leukocyte interferon (HuIFN-αLe). Antisera raised against HuIFN-αLy Namalwa strongly neutralized the antiviral activity of all IFN-α-containing preparations and showed weak cross-reactivity with human interferon- (HuIFN-). Neither anti-HuIFN-α1 nor anti-HuIFN-α2 could be demonstrated to neutralize the antiviral activity of HuIFN-. A number of monoclonal antibodies to HuIFN-α2 have been prepared and these were found to neutralize HuIFN-α2 antiviral activity to varying degrees, but not to neutralize the heterologous subtype HuIFN-α1, preparations containing mixtures of IFN-α subtypes or HuIFN-.