Summary
The occurrence and development of microprecipitin antibodies to poliovirus antigens was investigated with sera derived from triplenegative persons, triple-positive naturally, immune persons, persons immunized by killed or live poliovirus vaccines, persons with clinical poliomyelitis caused by each of the 3 types of poliovirus, and persons infected with various Coxsackie and ECHO viruses.
No positive reactions were obtained in sera of 11 triple-negative children and adults. Seven of 44 (16 per cent) sera from healthy, naturally immune children and adults gave positive reactions. Sera from persons who ingested live, attenuated poliovirus vaccine all developed precipitin antibody, which however was detected later than the neutralizing antibody. The response to 4 doses of Salk vaccine was less frequent and marked, and occurred most often in persons who had naturally acquired neutralizing antibodies for the corresponding type of poliovirus prior to vaccination.
Thirty-two of 36 patients with poliomyelitis developed a positive precipitin reaction which was already, as a rule, present in maximum titers at the end of the first week after onset of illness. Precipitin antibody titers began to decline within a few weeks after onset of illness. Similar rapid declines were observed after infection with live virus vaccine, and after inoculation of Salk vaccine.
The polio-precipitin reaction was type-specific in patients apparently infected for the first time with poliovirus, but heterotypic reactions occurred frequently in patients with pre-existing heterotypic neutralizing antibodies. There was some indication that Coxsackie A 9 and the polioviruses may share a minor, common microprecipitin antigen. The available data indicate that the microprecipitin antibody is different from both the neutralizing and complement-fixing antibodies.
The advantages and limitations of the polio-precipitin test as a diagnostic procedure are discussed.
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Eggers, H.J., Sabin, A.B. A phase contrast microprecipitin test with poliovirus antigens. Archiv f Virusforschung 11, 152–175 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01241254
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01241254