Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis: propagation of measles virus from brain biopsy in tissue culture

Measles virus was propagated in monolayer cultures established from brain tissue of a patient with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. Syncytial cells were rendered fluorescent with measles specific antiserums only, by means of an indirect technique. The ultrastructural appearance of the microtubular aggregates was identical in brain tissue and in the cultured cells. Fusion experiments produced a cytopathic effect in humnan embryonic kidney and VERO cell cultures. The virus was identified by hemiagglutination-inhibition, but only in the supernatant of disrupted cultured cells.

Further observations on inclusion-bearing cells in urinary sediment in infectious diseases

A study of the cytology of the urinary sediment in 43 patients with known viral diseases has revealed a variety of inclusion-bearing cells in 28.The morphology of the cells suggest that the changes recorded may be due to the viral infections, at least in some instances, bearing in mind the findings of workers quoted in our 1964 report that cellular changes very similar to those induced by virus infections can be initiated by non-viral stimuli. Multinucleate giant cells are occasionally found in chickenpox, measles, herpes simplex infection, and in mumps.