Poliovirus Neutralizing Antibodies Research Articles

THE FORMATION AND PROPERTIES OF POLIOVIRUS-NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODY. I. 19S AND 7S ANTIBODY FORMATION: DIFFERENCES IN KINETICS AND ANTIGEN DOSE REQUIREMENT FOR INDUCTION.

Rapid formation of poliovirus-neutralizing antibody was observed in the rabbit. 19S type antibody was detectable 8 to 12 hours following a single intravenous virus injection and the induction period was of the order of 4 to 5 hours or less. The production of 7S antibody had a longer lag phase (1(1/2) to 2 days) and it was formed at slower rate. The observed rate of early 19S and 7S antibody formation as well as the peak titers of the two antibodies were antigen dose dependent. Normal rabbit sera showed low neutralizing activity to several viral antigens in a sensitive assay system. Following intravenous inoculation of poliovirus either transitory ( 1 month) or enduring ((3/4) to 1(1/2) year) antibody formation resulted depending upon the dose of antigen employed. In transitory responses, which could be induced by a single small antigen dose, only 19S antibody was demonstrable and there was an abrupt cessation of antibody synthesis on day 4 or 5. In enduring responses, both 19S and 7S antibody were formed and the minimum antigen dose required for initiation of such a response was equal to the dose needed for induction of 7S antibody formation. Thus, enduring antibody formation was an all-or-none phenomenon depending upon whether or not 7S antibody formation was induced. The antigen dose requirement for induction of 7S antibody was much higher (by 50-fold or more) than that for 19S antibody. This allowed a determination of antigen dose regions, within which predictably transitory (19S) or enduring (19S + 7S) antibody formation was obtained. These pronounced differences in antigen dose requirement for induction and kinetics of formation of 19S and 7S antibody suggest that the same cells do not participate in the formation of the two antibodies.

ATTENUATED POLIOVIRUS INFECTION IN INFANTS FED COLOSTRUM FROM POLIOMYELITIS IMMUNE COWS

The ingestion of bovine colostrum, containing poliovirus neutralizing antibody, before the administration of 105.5 TCID50 of Sabin Type 2 vaccine prevented viral infection of the gastrointestinal tract in 8 of 11 3-day-old infants during a 16-day period of observation. The ingestion of colostrum after as short an interval as 2 hours following administration of the vaccine did not affect the incidence of infection, but it did appear either to delay the establishment of infection or to interfere temporarily with the isolation of virus from the feces. The ingestion of colostrum that did not possess poliovirus neutralizing antibody did not influence the incidence of infection.

The production and properties of poliovirus neutralizing antibody of rabbit origin

Various aspects of the interaction of bacterial viruses and antibody were studied by Andrewes and Elford in England. Similar studies, as well as studies on animal viruses, were carried out in Australia by Burnet and his colleagues. One result of their extensive studies, which were summarized in great detail, was the conclusion that, with respect to their interaction with antibody, bacterial and animal viruses were basically different. Specifically, the difference resided in the stability of the union of virus and antibody, whereas bacterial viruses formed stable complexes, animal viruses formed complexes that tended to dissociate readily. The introduction of animal cell cultures as host systems greatly aided in the study of animal viruses, with respect to fewer and more readily controlled variables, and by the use of the plaque assay in enhanced quantitative reliability. In 1956, Dulbecco et al. described the interaction of two animal viruses with their respective antibodies. The results of these studies led these investigators to conclude, among other things, that animal viruses, at least the two they studied, reacted with antibodies to form complexes that did not dissociate spontaneously. This interpretation was challenged by Fazekas de St. Groth and Reid. As more animal virus-antibody systems were studied by many investigators, there seemed to be a greater accord for irreversible, rather than reversible, interaction. For this reason, in this chapter it is assumed that there are no differences between bacterial viruses, as one category, and animal viruses, as a separate category, concerning their interaction with antibodies. Rather, differences, when they exist, are considered to be related to the viruses per se. Although this chapter is intended to survey the neutralization of animal viruses, occasional reference is made to the studies on bacterial viruses when these studies are pertinent and illuminating to the topic at hand.

A modified metabolic inhibition test for the titration of poliovirus neutralizing antibodies.

A modification of the metabolic inhibition test for titrating poliomyelitis antibody is described. The method depends on the substitution of galactose for glucose in the initial medium to eliminate colour change during the period of virus activity. Neutralization is detected by the addition of glucose at the end of the period, when the usual colour changes associated with this type of test occur. A statistical analysis of the results obtained is given.This method can also be used for titrating antibodies to other enteric viruses.Thanks are due to Dr Hélène Mair, Dr D. R. Gamble and Dr A. D. Macrae for strains of enteroviruses, and to Miss Patricia Jerram, for valuable technical assistance in the early days of this work.

Isolation of ECHO virus type 6 during outbreak of seasonal aseptic meningitis.

• Symptoms of aseptic meningitis occurred in 17 children and in 7 young adults out of 500 inhabitants of a village in July, 1955. Seven boys were hospitalized, and all had fever, headache, signs of meningeal irritation, and gastrointestinal complaints. Pain, lethargy, mild muscular weakness, and altered reflexes were present in some cases. Improvement was rapid, and all patients were discharged well, within 3 to 10 days, with no residual findings except occasional slight muscular weaknesses and minimal hamstring spasm. Laboratory observations included detailed virus studies of the cerebrospinal fluid, blood, throat swabs, and fecal specimens. No rise of poliovirus neutralizing antibody was demonstrable in any of the patients, but in all there were rises in circulating antibody to ECHO (enteric cytopathogenic human orphan) type 6 virus. Specific antibody appeared on the fifth day of illness and was still present after seven months, when the only residual finding was absence of the abdominal reflexes in two patients. The virus was isolated, and evidence of its etiological role is given. The disease could not be distinguished clinically from preparalytic poliomyelitis when the patients were admitted to the hospital. There are indications that epidemics of this kind are not unusual or isolated occurrences.