Use of immunoperoxidase for the rapid identification of human myxoviruses and paramyxoviruses in tissue culture

Rapid and accurate viral diagnosis

In recent years, there has been increased recognition of the importance of viral infections. In addition, new antiviral agents have become available. These factors have led to a marked increase in utilization of viral diagnostic services. In this review, both conventional and rapid methods for viral diagnosis are presented, with emphasis on recent advances. The antiviral agents currently available and the major drugs under investigation are also briefly discussed. It is hoped that this review will serve as a useful adjunct for the management of patients with virus infections.

Development of an immunofluorescence focus assay for Ebola virus

A 48-h indirect immunofluorescence focus assay for the quantitation of Ebola virus was developed, utilizing HeLa-229 cell monolayers. The dose dependency and the sensitivity of this assay as compared with conventional assays are reported. This indirect immunofluorescence focus assay can be used as a rapid, quantitative test for the detection of Ebola virus, an agent from Africa known to cause hemorrhagic fever.

Type specificity and use of human sera for rapid typing of herpes simplex virus isolates by an indirect peroxidase-labeled antibody technique: a comparison with three other methods

Human sera from patients showing seroconversion following a primary herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) or HSV type 2 (HSV-2) infection, as well as 19S and 7S fractions obtained from the same sera, have been used for typing 191 HSV isolates by an indirect peroxidase-labeled antibody (PLA) method. Typing has also been performed on all of the isolates using a microneutralization (MN) and the indirect hemagglutination (IHA) inhibition test. Furthermore, 30 isolates have been typed by a plaque method. Results obtained with the PLA method was in complete agreement with those of the other two procedures. The PLA method is rapid and simple, offers easy interpretation and a permanent record of results.

The immunoperoxidase technique for rapid human cytomegalovirus identification

Sixteen cytomegalovirus (CMV) isolates from both ill and healthy patients were identified by the immunoperoxidase technique (IP). CMV detection was accomplished by direct examination of the primary isolate using either direct (DIP) or indirect immunoperoxidase (IIP) techniques. In thirteen of the isolates, confirmation of identification was achieved by indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) and by demonstration of herpes particles by electron microscopy (EM). Further, in four cases of non-CMV alterations in the tissue culture which might be confused with actual infection, the IP test was negative as were the confirmatory tests. The IIP is preferred over the DIP test since the latter shows a certain amount of background stain of uninfected cells. Tissue culture cells showing focal CMV cytopathic effect contained both nuclear and cytoplasmic inclusions stained by IP technique. Nonspecific staining was associated with cytoplasmic inclusion bodies. The IP technique can detect individual cell CMV infection at 24 hours when EM reveals only unenveloped viral particles. It is sensitive, specific, and allows direct identification of infected cells in the primary isolate in as little as 90 minutes. Furthermore, it can be performed in standard isolation tissue culture tubes, whereas IFA requires the transfer of the infected cells onto slides or the routine use of Leighton tubes.

Assessment of virus infectivity by the immunofluorescent and immunoperoxidase techniques

The immunofluorescent and immunoperoxidase cell-counting techniques were comparable in precision and reproducibility for the quantitative assessment of influenza virus infectivity. The dose-response function was linear with each procedure, and comparable results were obtained for estimating neutralizing antibodies in antiviral serum.

Rapid typing of herpes simplex virus strains using the indirect immunoperoxidase method

The indirect immunoperoxidase technique with type-specific antisera was compared to kinetic neutralization for the typing of herpes simplex virus strains. There was complete agreement between the results obtained by kinetic neutralization and indirect immunoperoxidase. The indirect immunoperoxidase assay was far simpler to perform and interpret than the kinetic neutralization tests, and it offered a rapid means for the routine antigenic typing of herpes simplex isolates.