Gamma-globulin foetal bovine sera: significance in virology

Prevalence of antibodies to specific infectious agents in bovine fetuses from a slaughterhouse in Minnesota

Sera from 486 bovine fetuses, approximately 60 to 270 days of gestation, were collected at slaughter and tested for the presence of immunoglobulins (Ig). One hundred ten (27%) of the sera were positive for IgG and/or IgM. The earliest age at which fetuses tested positive for IgM and IgG was estimated to be 100 and 120 days, respectively. Ig concentration increased with increased age of the fetus. Sera that were positive for Ig were tested for the presence of specific antibodies to five different infectious agents. Bovine parvovirus antibodies were found in 99 of 110 sera (90%) by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test. However, only 35 (31.8%) of these sera were positive by serum neutralization (SN) test. Antibodies to parainfluenza-3 virus were detected in 30 sera (27%) by HI test and in 20 sera (18%) by SN test. Five (4%) sera contained SN antibodies to bovine viral diarrhea virus. Only one (0.9%) serum sample contained SN antibodies to infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus. None of the sera had antibodies against five Leptospira spp. Results of this study suggest that bovine parvovirus may be a potential cause of reproductive problems in cattle.

Methods for detection and frequency of contamination of fetal calf serum with bovine viral diarrhea virus and antibodies against bovine viral diarrhea virus

Methods used by the National Animal Disease Center to test fetal calf serum for contamination with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and antibodies against BVDV are described. Using those methods, virus was isolated from 332 of 1,608 (20.6%) lots of raw fetal calf serum obtained specifically for the Center and 93 of 190 (49%) lots of commercially available fetal calf serum. Virus neutralization and immunoperoxidase staining tests were used to detect antibodies against BVDV in 224 of the 1,608 (13.9%) lots of raw fetal calf serum. Both BVDV and antibodies against BVDV were detected in 50 lots of raw serum. The molecular specificity of antibodies against BVDV was determined by radioimmunoprecipitation. Lots of fetal calf serum that contained BVDV-specific antibodies that did not neutralize virus were identified.

Detection of bovine virus diarrhea virus in cell culture using an immunoperoxidase technique

An indirect immunoperoxidase staining technique was developed for identifying cell cultures infected with bovine virus diarrhea virus. Infected cell monolayers stained intensely while uninfected monolayers remained colorless. Immunoperoxidase staining was as sensitive as direct immunofluorescence in detecting endpoint dilutions of virus suspensions. Using the immunoperoxidase technique, infected monolayers were detectable by macroscopic, as well as microscopic, observation.

Competitive and blocking enzyme-linked immunoassay for detection of fetal bovine serum antibodies to bovine viral diarrhea virus

A competitive blocking enzyme-linked immunoassay (CELIA) was developed to detect bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) antibodies in undiluted fetal bovine serum (FBS). The CELIA was based on competition of serum BVDV antibodies with biotin-labelled anti-BVDV immunoglobulins (Ig) for a limited quantity of solid-phase BVDV antigen. Antigen preparation was simple, FBS could be tested undiluted, and detergent-containing washes were unnecessary. A series of dilutions of postnatal bovine BVDV antiserum prepared in FBS and a set of 147 undiluted abbatoir FBS samples were tested by both CELIA and serum neutralization tests (SNT). CELIA results on both sets of specimens correlated positively with SNT titers (r = 0.99 and r = 0.85). Relative to the SNT, CELIA sensitivity was 100%; specificity was 76%. CELIA detected a level of BVDV antibody below the 1:2-titer threshold detectable with the SNT. Advantages, limitations, and theoretical differences between the CELIA and SNT are discussed. A similar comparison of CELIA with non-competitive enzyme-linked immunoassay approaches to BVDV serodiagnosis is made. It is concluded that the CELIA is valuable in selecting only BVDV-seronegative FBS for use in virologic cell culture media.

Use of protein A to remove immunoglobulins from serum in hybridoma culture media

The levels of protein A-reactive immunoglobulin (PA-Ig) in foetal bovine serum were measured in commercial batches. For tissue culture media incorporating 10% foetal bovine serum, the levels of bovine PA-Ig were of a similar order to those of mouse monoclonal antibodies produced by hybridomas grown in such media. The equilibrium constants were calculated for the binding to protein A-Sepharose of a number of mouse monoclonal antibodies, and of PA-Ig in foetal bovine serum and normal mouse serum. The average affinity of the mouse PA-Ig was 10 times higher than that of the bovine PA-Ig, suggesting that the two could be separated by affinity chromatography on protein A-Sepharose. The mouse monoclonal antibodies, however, displayed a range of affinity 1.5-100 times that of the bovine PA-Ig, indicating that such separation could not be generally applied. The optimal technique involved removing PA-Ig from bovine serum before its inclusion in the culture medium and then purifying the monoclonal antibody on a second protein A-Sepharose column.

A microtiter test for detecting and titrating noncytopathogenic bovine viral diarrhea virus

Bovine cells free of noncytopathogenic bovine viral diarrhea virus (NC-BVDV) treated with polyriboinosinic acid : polyribocytidylic acid (poly I:C) were protected against challenge with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), whereas NC-BVDV-infected cells treated with poly I:C were not protected against VSV. An assay based on the ability of NC-BVDV to inhibit poly I:C protection of cells against VSV was developed and is herein referred to as PINBA (poly I:C for NC-BVDV assay). Noncytopathogenic BVDV was titrated as cytopathogenic strains except that several days after infection with NC-BVDV, the cultures were treated with poly I:C and VSV. Titration endpoints were reached 24 hours later. PINBA was standardized for amount of VSV, time of addition of poly I:C, and time NC-BVDV had to be present to obtain stable titration endpoints. PINBA also was useful for titrating virus neutralizing antibodies. Compared with the fluorescent antibody test, PINBA was less subjective for detection of NC-BVDV. Compared with the interference test in which NC-BVDV infected cultures are challenged with a cytopathogenic strain of BVDV, PINBA was more reliable. The technique described herein is a simple and practical microtiter method for titrating NC-BVDV and virus neutralizing antibodies and for the presumptive detection of NC-BVDV.

Inhibitors of bovine parvovirus, coronavirus and rotavirus in precolostral and fetal bovine sera

Eleven, 11 and 2 of 11 precolostral sera from normal calves and 13, 14 and 9 of 14 sera from normal fetuses, 7 to 10 months of gestation, neutralized bovine parvovirus, coronavirus and rotavirus, respectively.

When assayed by single radial immunodiffusion, all the sera contained IgG at 360 to 1400 mg/dl, and some of them had much smaller amounts of IgM or IgA. Most of the neutralizing activities against bovine coronavirus and rotavirus were readily inactivated by treatment with acetone or 2-mercaptoethanol. Some sera fractionated by Sephadex G-200 gel filtration or starch block electrophoresis had neutralizing activities against bovine parvovirus or coronavirus in fractions containing no detectable amounts of immunoglobulins. These observations seem to indicate the presence of substance(s), other than immunoglobulins, capable of inhibiting replication of bovine parvovirus, coronavirus or rotavirus. The chemical nature and the mode of action of the inhibitors await elucidation.

Role of serum in survival of Treponema pallidum in tissue culture

During attempts to cultivate Treponema pallidum, it was determined that length of time for survival of virulent treponemes was highly dependent on the quality of the fetal bovine serum (FBS) used as a protein supplement in the culture medium. Eighteen lots of commercial FBS were tested for their ability to maintain survival of T. pallidum in cultures of cottontail rabbit epithelial (SflEp) cells. All were capable of supporting growth of these cells. However, in tests on five of the lots, attachment of treponemes to the SflEp cells was either extremely poor or the 50% survival time (ST50) was less than 5 days. With two of these lots, no treponemes survived for 5 days. By contrast, in tests with 11 of the FBS lots, the ST50 of the treponemes was 12 days or greater; however, there was a great variation in the number of treponemes that attached. Selection of lots of FBS for ultimate experimental use was based on their influence both to extend length of time for survival of treponemes and to increase the number of treponemes that attached to the SflEp cells during that period.

Serologic evidence for etiologic role of Akabane virus in epizootic abortion-arthrogryposis-hydranencephaly in cattle in Japan, 1972-1974

In the outbreak of abortions, premature births, stillbirths and congenital arthrogryposis-hydranencephaly (AH) syndrome in Japan during the summer through winter of 1972-73 and 1973-74, precolostral sera from calves with congenital AH syndrome and normal calves were tested for neutralizing antibodies against some arboviruses, i.e. Akabane, Aino, Getah and Japanese encephalitis (JE) viruses. The incidence of antibody for Akabane virus was very high in calves with AH syndrome (49/59 or 83 per cent) as compared with normal calves (3/11 or 27 per cent), indicating an intimate correlation between the AH syndrome and precolostral anti-Akabane antibody. Three stillborn fetuses also had anti-Akabane antibody. On the other hand, no precolostral serum antibody for the other viruses was detected in any of the calves tested. The mothers of these calves, normal and with AH syndrome, had anti-Akabane antibody in high percentages (44/52 or 85 per cent and 7/8 or 88 per cent), whereas a few of the mothers had antibodies for the other viruses. Serological surveys indicate a wide dissemination of Akabane virus in epizootic areas during the summer months of 1972 and 1973. Thus, 8 groups of cattle in epizootic areas showed high rates of seroconversion for Akabane virus during the 1972 or 1973 summer. Very high incidences of Akabane antibody were shown among cattle in epizootic areas but extremely low incidences in near-by non-epizootic areas. The geographic distribution of anti-Akabane antibody among cattle throughout the country in the 1973 spring generally agrees with the pattern of case distribution in the 1972--73 outbreak. All these findings strongly suggest that Akabane virus is the etiological agent of the outbreaks. Further studies are needed, particularly isolation of the virus, demonstration of infection with the virus in lesions by immunofluroescence and production of intrauterine infection by experimental infection of pregnant cows.

Antibody to viruses affecting cattle in commercial tissue culture grade fetal calf serum

Commercial fetal calf serum (FCS) for tissue culture use was tested for neutralizing activity against several viruses which affect cattle. Certain lots of FCS contained no neutralizing activity, whereas other lots contained neutralizing activity to several viruses. It was concluded that the neutralizing activity found in certain lots of sera was due to specific antibody and that its presence could be most easily explained by the contamination of the FCS with serum from postcolostral bovine serum. A nonantibody inhibitor to vesicular stomatitis virus was also found at low levels in most lots of serum. Because those sera which had antibody had antibody to several viruses, it was suggested that the use of the micro-serum neutralization test with a few bovine viruses which are widespread in the bovine population should be satisfactory to detect FCS which was contaminated with postcolostral bovine serum.

Cytotoxicity mediated by soluble antigen and lymphocytes in delayed hypersensitivity. I. Characterization of the phenomenon

In the presence of specific antigen, lymph node cells from inbred rats with delayed hypersensitivity to tuberculoprotein, bovine gammaglobulin, and egg albumin produced progressive destruction of monolayers of rat embryo fibroblasts in tissue culture, first apparent at 48 hr and maximal at 72 hr. The effect was specific and did not depend on a genetic difference between the lymph node cells and target cells. It required antigen concentrations equal to or greater than 1.25 microg/ml and lymphocyte: target cell ratios of approximately 10 or 20:1. It could be evaluated both by a plaquing technique and by cell enumeration with an electronic particle counter.