The Inhibitory Effect of Antibody to Host Cells on Echovirus Plaques in HEp-2 Cells

Treatment of monolayers of primary human amnion cells with homologous antiserum in sub-cytotoxic doses causes a reduction in the number of plaques formed in them by echoviruses and Coxsackievirus type A9 (Timbury, 1962). Polioviruses and Coxsackieviruses of group B are virtually insusceptible to the inhibitory effect of the antiserum which is due to a reaction of the antibody with the host cells and not to direct neutralization of the virus. This report describes further investigations, in HEp-2 cells, of the virus-inhibiting action of antibody to host cells.

Antiserum to HEp-2 cells was prepared in a rabbit as described for antiserum to amnion cells (Timbury, 1962). The antiserum had a titre of 1/1024 in complement-fixation tests with HEp-2 cells suspended in phosphate buffered saline at a concentration of 2.5 × 106 cells/ml. and a tire of 1/2048 in haemagglutination tests with human group O erythrocytes.