Egg-grown and tissue-culture-grown variants of influenza A (H3N2) virus with special attention to their use as antigens in seroepidemiology

• Published in: Epidemiology and infection Vol. 99; no. 3; pp. 745 - 753
• Main Authors: Pyhälä, R., Pyhälä, L., Valle, M., Aho, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.12.1987
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antibodies; Antigens; Antigens, Viral - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Cell culture techniques; Child; Eggs; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; H3N2 subtype influenza A virus; Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; Humans; Infections; Influenza A virus; Influenza A virus - growth & development; Influenza A virus - immunology; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype; Influenza, Human - immunology; Microbiology; Middle Aged; Orthomyxoviridae; Receptors; Techniques used in virology; Virology; Viruses; Virus; Antigen; Variant; Influenzavirus A; Organotypic culture; Immunoreagent; Variations; Orthomyxoviridae; Influenzavirus; Epidemiology
• ISSN: 0950-2688; 1469-4409
• DOI: 10.1017/S0950268800066607

A field strain of influenza A (H3N2) virus isolated in embryonated eggs during the 1984–5 influenza outbreak (A/Finland/13/85E) was compared in an antigenic analysis with virus from the same clinical specimen isolated in MDCK cell cultures (A/Finland/13/85M). The M-virus appeared to be more sensitive to haemagglutination-inhibiting antibodies against heterologous viruses than did the Evirus. The results of propagation and plaque purification experiments support the hypothesis that a single clinical specimen may consist of distinct antigenic variant subpopulations promoted selectively by the host during isolation procedures. Receptor-binding properties are discussed as a possible explanation for this selectivity. A set of 471 paired sera consisting of pre-epidemic and post-epidemic specimens taken from the same subjects in 1984–5 was studied for haemagglutinationinhibiting antibodies to six influenza A (H3N2) virus strains, including the E-virus and the M-virus from A/Finland/13/85. Of the antigens used, the M-virus detected significant antibody increases more frequently than did the E-virus (10·0 v. 5·9%). The superiority of the M-virus may rest primarily in its ability to pick out anamnestic antibody responses. Irrespective of this cross-reactivity, preepidemic antibody to the M-virus was fairly well associated with protection. In the set of sera (230 specimens) collected in summer 1985 to represent different age groups, the antibody status against the M-virus was significantly better than the status against the E-virus. The results suggest that, at least in some instances, antibody to MDCK-grown virus is a more accurate indicator of the immune status of a community than antibodies to egg-grown virus variants.