Hemagglutination with equine arteritis virus

Ensuring Viral Safety of Equine Immunoglobulins during Production

Equine blood plasma/serum and intermediates must be monitored for the presence of live viruses pathogenic in humans during production of equine immunoglobulins. Information concerning low-cost and simple methods for the detection of live horse viruses pathogenic and non-pathogenic to humans was gained using data of modern domestic and foreign literature. These methods are based on cultivation of these viruses on sensitive biosystems. The presented information can be used to set up blood plasma/serum control of horses at different stages of immunoglobulin production, i.e., when taking blood from horses during their quarantine period, when collecting blood from immunized horses, and before bottling the medicinal intermediate in the primary package.

Characterization of equine arteritis virus particles and demonstration of their hemolytic activity

Equine arteritis virus (EAV), a member of the newly established family Arteriviridae, is a small, positive-stranded RNA virus. It carries two protein complexes in its envelope, gp5/M and the recently described gp2b/gp3/gp4 complex. We report here on several basic features of EAV replication in cell culture and on the protein composition of virus particles. We have also characterized gp2b, gp3, and gp4 expressed using a baculovirus system in insect cells. Finally, we provide evidence that EAV possess hemagglutinating and hemolytic activity. The hemolysis assay might be useful for determining which of the surface proteins carries the receptor-binding and membrane fusion activity of EAV.

Hemagglutination and antigenic comparison of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus

The hemagglutinating activity and serological properties of three strains of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus, Chinese, Korean and Shizuoka, which was first isolated in Japan, were examined by hemagglutination (HA) and cross hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test with human erythrocytes. Similar results were observed between the Chinese and Korean strains, both of which gave positive HA at 4 degrees C with O, A, B and AB, and at 22 degrees C with B and AB blood groups. In the Shizuoka strain, positive HA was observed at 4 degrees C with O, A, B and AB, at 22 degrees C with A, B And AB, and at 37 degrees C with B blood group. In experimentally infected rabbits, HI antibody in these animals showed a titer of 16,384 or 32,768 at 4 weeks after inoculation. No serological difference was observed in three strains by cross HI test.

Effect of heparin on hemagglutination by equine arteritis virus

Heparin inhibited hemagglutination (HA) by equine arteritis virus (EAV) as well as did HA by Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV), but failed to inhibit HA by parainfluenza virus type 3 (PIV-3). The minimal concentration of heparin required to inhibit 8 HA U of EAV was 0.1 U/ml. In addition, most EAV hemagglutinin was retained by heparin acrylic beads, as was ADV hemagglutinin, but was not PIV-3 hemagglutinin. Mouse erythrocytes failed to combine with the HA inhibitory factor of heparin. However, mouse erythrocytes treated with heparinase had greatly reduced agglutinability by EAV. All these findings suggest that a heparin-like molecule on the surface of mouse erythrocytes serves as the virus-cell receptor.