Influenza A and B Viruses in Monkey Kidney Cultures II. Immunogenicity and Characteristics of the Neutralization Reaction as Compared to Those of Chick Embryo-Propagated Viruses

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases 1961-09, Vol.109 (2), p.136-146
• Main Author: Mogabgab, William J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies; Antibody Formation; Antiserum; Haplorhini; Herpesvirus 1, Cercopithecine; Humans; Infections; Influenza, Human; Kidney; Kidneys; Old Medline; Orthomyxoviridae; Orthomyxoviridae - ethnology; Tissue culture techniques; Titration; Vaccination; Viruses
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/109.2.136

The immunogenicity of monkey kidney culture and chick embryo-propagated lines of influenza A1/GL/1134/53, A2/NO/1/57 and B/GL/1760/54 viruses was compared in rabbits and roosters. Antibody response to the tissue culture line of influenza A1 virus was considerably greater than that to the egg line in rabbits, but results were mostly equivalent with both lines of the 3 viruses in other instances except for a slightly enhanced response to the egg lines of each in roosters. Because of specificity of antibody the homologous passage lines of influenza A1 and B were required for demonstration of maximum hemagglutination-inhibition and neutralization titers. Greater reactivity was shown by the monkey kidney culture line of influenza A2, even in the groups immunized with chick embryo-propagated virus. Mice immunized with the tissue culture and egg lines of influenza A1 and B were protected equally from pneumonia, following intranasal challenge with an adapted strain of the same type as the vaccine. The linear relationships (slopes) between the quantity of infectious virus and the quantity of immune serum in neutralization titrations were determined with influenza A1, A2 and B in monkey kidney cultures and in the allantoic sac of the chick embryo. Rabbit antiserums prepared with the tissue culture and egg lines of each virus were also compared. With influenza A1 the slopes derived from neutralization titrations in monkey kidney cultures and in the egg were the same, and the latter was less than expected. The slopes obtained with influenza A2 and B viruses in tissue culture were less than those in the egg, but both viruses behaved similarly. The source of virus used for antiserum preparation did not affect results. Human post-influenza) (Asian) serums produced the same slopes as rabbit antiserums, but postvaccinal serums were associated with slopes derived from titers in the egg that were considerably less than the others.