Gel Double Diffusion Studies with Group B and Group A, Type 9 Coxsackie Viruses

Abstract

Summary: Precipitates in agar were demonstrated with hyperimmune animal sera and human sera and group B and A9 Coxsackie antigens derived from infected HeLa cells and concentrated by high speed centrifugation. Although the animal sera reacted specifically with homotypic antigens, human sera formed lines of precipitate (“group” or G precipitate) with antigen types for which no neutralizing antibodies were demonstrable. However, sera from individuals infected with types B1, B3, B4, B5, B6 and A9 formed a second line of precipitate (“specific” or S precipitate) demonstrable only with the infecting antigen type, or occasionally with antigen types for which the patient had a high level of neutralizing antibody. Sera from B2 patients could not be shown to produce a second “specific” precipitate line with homologous antigens. Preliminary evidence (the coalescing, spurring or crossing of precipitate lines) indicates that the antigen-antibody reactions of the “group” antigen and antibody are identical or partially identical, whereas the “specific” antigen-antibody reactions are nonidentical.