Hepatitis B virus in tissue culture systems. I. Serial propagation of virus in human macrophages.
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.
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
D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens