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

Abstract

SUMMARYA 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.

Cell culture-derived influenza vaccines in the severe 2017–2018 epidemic season: a step towards improved influenza vaccine effectiveness

“… 32 – 34 The extent to which seasonal vaccines that are fully derived and manufactured in mammalian cell culture will provide improved VE over egg-manufactured influenza vaccines remains to be determined, as definitive comparative field trials have not been reported yet, but animal and human serological testing suggests that mammalian cell-derived antigen could be, at the least, more protective – in certain seasons – particularly with respect to A(H3N2) and B vaccine components. 22 , 35 – 37 …”

Benefits of increasing the dose of influenza vaccine in residents of long‐term care facilities: A randomized placebo‐controlled trial

“…Among the influenza vaccine studies employing increased doses of vaccine and booster vaccine strategies, a large randomized multi-center trial in long-term care facilities conducted in 1997-1998 by the present research group did not allow firm conclusions to be formed, mainly because the serological analysis by the ELISA technique precluded a proper comparison of the results with earlier findings on the protective effects of the vaccine [Roos-van Eijndhoven et al, 2001]. Therefore, all original serum samples from this large randomized multi-center trial in long-term care facilities were re-analyzed by hemagglutination inhibition assay (HAI), a generally accepted method to evaluate influenza vaccine responses [Pyhä lä et al, 1987;Meyer et al, 1993;Beyer et al, 2004] to the predominant subtype A/H3N2 strain of that season [Nichol et al, 2007].…”

“…Because influenza A/H3N2 is the predominant virus subtype since 1968, (HAI) to the A/H3N2 strain was performed. The assay conditions included using turkey erythrocytes for agglutination, a filtrate of Vibrio cholerae fimbriae as source of receptor destroying enzyme and four hemagglutinating units of the vaccine strain A/Nanchang/933/95 (H3N2), which was propagated on Madine Darby canine kidney cells [Kelly et al, 2004], a method well comparable or superior to earlier methods employing egg-grown virus [Palmer et al, 1975;Pyhä lä et al, 1987;Meyer et al, 1993].…”

Characterization of Human Influenza Viruses Propagated by Madin-Darby Canine Kidney Cells or Embryonated Eggs

“…Differences in HI titer are sometimes attributed to changes in the hemagglutinin sequence after viruses are passaged in eggs [8,18] or to changes in the neuraminidase sequence which may contribute to hemagglutination [7]. Supporting the notion that egg-adaptation alters the virus, higher HI titers were observed in an epidemiological study where human sera were tested with cellpropagated virus than with egg-propagated virus [19]. Interestingly, when egg-adapted viruses are further cultured in MDCK cells the virus often retains the egg-like serological characteristics and do not revert back to the cell-like characteristics [20].…”