title: Influenza B at Christ's Hospital: natural antibody to influenza B estimated by radial haemolysis.
abstract: The technique of radial haemolysis (SRH) was used to assess the response to infection with different strains of influenza B virus, to determine the persistence of antibody following such infection and to examine sera from boys entering school at age 11 years. The technique detected 95% of infections and in primary infection the antibody response was mainly to the infecting strain. Re-infections resulted in a broad response, both to the homotypic strain and to strains more distantly related. Antibody to the homotypic strain persisted for at least 3 years but in some individuals the reaction with heterotypic strains tended to become weaker--resulting in zones of incomplete lysis--or was lost. Examination of the sera collected on entry to the school showed that about 60% of the boys bled before B/Hong Kong became widespread in the United Kingdom had antibody to strains representative of those isolated in the 1960s and few boys had antibody to B/Hong Kong. After 1974 antibody to B/Hong Kong and later strains became more common while antibody to earlier strains was less frequently detected. The significance of the results as an estimate of past experience is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D004739:England; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral