An analysis of the complement-fixation reaction in influenza

Abstract

This paper describes a study of the mechanism of the complement-fixation reaction in influenza. Its purpose was to determine the relative parts played in the reaction by the virus elementary body and the soluble antigen, and to find out whether any specific differences could be demonstrated between different strains of influenza virus A. Almost all the work has been done by means of 'chess-board' experiments of the type first used by Dean & Webb (1926) in their classical work on the complementfixation reaction. These experiments, in which a series of antigen dilutions is tested against a series of serum dilutions with a constant dose of complement, convey very much more information about the nature of a complement-fixation reaction than is obtainable by a simple titration of antigen or serum.standards of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% haemolysis was prepared and the tubes matched against these.A constant dose of complement (21 M.H.D.) has been used in most of the experiments. The complement was the pooled serum of several guinea-pigs preserved by the boric acid-sorbite-azide method of Richardson (1941). This preserved liquid complement has been found very satisfactory as its titre remains unchanged for weeks and enables a large number of experiments to be done with the same batch of complement.The sera used in this work were mainly human convalescent sera from the epidemic of 1943-4. They were inactivated at 560C. for 30 min. and preserved by addition of 0-08 % sodium azide. Some of the antigens used in the work have also been preserved by sodium azide.

Serological Studies of the Multiplication of a Staphylococcal Bacteriophage

“…"Chessboard" titrations (Hoyle, 1945) were carried out with tbe stock R201 serum using as antigen a broth lysate of 3A containing 2*1 X 10^** infective particles/ml. Pig.…”

Antigenic Relationships of Swine Influenza Virus

“…Com.Ze?nent-&ation tests were carried out using a modification of Hoyle's (1948) technique. Soluble antigen was prepared from infected chorio-allantoic membranes and titrated against convalescent A and B human influenza antisera.…”

Respiratory Viruses

“…Hoyle (56) , however, contends that if this "soluble" antigen were a disintegration product several different antigens should be found si nce the virus particle is made up of a number of antigens. Using mouse virus suspensions of different but related strains he noted that the optimal concentration of soluble antigen from one strain was the same with four different human convalescent sera and that a given serum had the same maximal titer with soluble antigens of different strains.…”