ABSTRACT
Interferon alfa-2c is a subtype of interferon-alfa that was used in trials in the 1980s and 1990s for the treatment of specific forms of leukemia. Interferon-beta is one of the type I interferons produced by fibroblasts in response to stimulation by live or inactivated virus or by double-stranded RNA. Human interferon-beta may be investigated for treatment of metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma. Interferon beta-1b is a non-glycosylated form of interferon beta-1 that has a serine at position 17. IFN-beta itself could not be patch tested because it was available commercially only in bulk, but there were no reactions to interferon-alfa and interferon-gamma. After precipitation, centrifugation and preparation of the supernatant, retesting with this inhibited preparation, unlike the original preparation, did not provoke a positive patch test reaction.
