title: Hepatitis B virus in tissue culture systems. I. Serial propagation of virus in human macrophages.
abstract: Human peritoneal macrophages, originating from peritoneal dialysis fluid and growing in vitro, support the growth and serial propagation of hepatitis B virus (HBV). The evidence for virus growth is based on the regular detection of HB core antigen in twenty-one passages of macrophages by a complement fixation test using rabbit anti-HB core serum; detection of HB core and e antigen in the twenty-first passage, using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; the detection of HB antigen in cultured macrophages in the fourteenth passage by an indirect immunofluorescence test using human convalescent serum; and detection of HB core antigen in the twenty-second passage by immunofluorescence test using rabbit anti-HB core serum. No CPE was observed through twenty-one passages. It is believed that this is the first successful cultivation and serial propagation of HBV in a cell culture system in vitro. Practical aspects of this finding are discussed.
mesh_terms: D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000382:microbiology*; D014776:Virus Cultivation / Q000379:methods; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens