A Procedure Which Eliminates Nonspecific Inhibitor from Human Serum But does not Affect Specific Antibodies Against Influenza Viruses

Abstract

Summary All influenza virus preparations and red blood cells which were examined in hemagglutination-inhibition tests with normal serum were affected by nonspecific inhibitor. Experiments with human sera, from which influenza virus antibodies had been absorbed, showed that incubation with an equal volume of V. cholerae filtrate at 37 C for 18 hours completely inactivates nonspecific inhibitor. There was no detectable reduction in the titer of hemagglutination-inhibiting or neutralizing antibodies against influenza viruses in human serum treated with V. cholerae filtrate. After elimination of nonspecific inhibitor with V. cholerae filtrate, specific antibody responses against influenza or mumps virus were demonstrable with paired sera which yielded negative results when tested in the usual manner.