title: Modified hemolytic plaque technique for the detection of bluetongue virus antibody-forming cells.
abstract: A hemolytic plaque assay was developed for the detection of antibody-forming cells to bluetongue virus (BTV). Sheep erythrocytes (SRBC), onto which BTV had been absorbed, served as the indicator of lysis due to the presence of BTV antibody-forming cells. The ratio of BTV to SRBC was found to be critical for optimum hemolytic plaque formation. For routine use, 50 mul of 12% BTV SRBC, 0.1 ml of a spleen cell suspension, and 0.5 ml of 0.5% agarose in a balanced salt solution were mixed and plated on a microscope slide precoated with 0.1% aqueous agarose. Slides were incubated for 1 h at 37 C in a humidified incubator and subsequently flooded with 0.4 ml of a 1:15 dilution of complement. Incubation was continued for a further 2 h before the hemolytic plaques were scored. It was not possible to establish BTV serotype specificity by this technique.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D001820:Bluetongue virus / Q000276:immunology*; D002645:Chickens; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D012087:Reoviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D012756:Sheep; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral