Potency-Determination of Antipertussis Serum by the Mouse-Protective Test

Abstract

Reproducible results may be obtained by the procedure given for conducting the mouse-protective test with antipertussis serum. This has made it possible to establish a provisional standard unit for use in the evaluation of antipertussis rabbit-serum by the mouse-protective test. A provisional standard unit is defined as that amount of standard serum which will protect 50 per cent of the mice against 2 MLD of a virulent strain of H. pertussis suspended in 4 per cent gastric mucin. Antipertussis rabbit-sera may be standardized in terms of a control serum using White's formula. This method of conducting the mouse-protective test in the potency-determination of antipertussis sera is practical and assays specific protection in terms of provisional units.