Rapid culture-amplified immunofluorescent test for the detection of human rhinoviruses in clinical samples: evidence of a common epitope in culture.
Ohio HeLa cells in multichamber slides were inoculated with nasal samples from patients presenting with common cold symptoms and incubated at 33 degrees C with gentle shaking for 48 hours. The cultures were fixed with cold acetone, and viral antigens were detected by immunofluorescence using an antirhinovirus type 2 (HRV-2) polyclonal serum. Of 158 samples, 58 (36.7%) and 57 (36%) were positive for HRV by virus isolation (confirmed by acid lability test) and by culture-amplified immunofluorescent (CAIF) test, respectively. The correlation between the two tests was highly significant (P = 0.0001). Nasal washings or nasal/throat swabs were equally suitable for detecting virus by isolation but not by CAIF. On the other hand, nasal washings were better than nasal/throat swabs for detecting HRV by CAIF. In an ELISA system, the polyclonal anti-HRV-2 serum recognized a rhinovirus antigen expressed in situ within 48 hr postinfection by all the 11 HRV serotypes investigated. However, 60 hr postinfection, the anti-HRV-2 serum recognized only homologous and closely related HRV antigens. These results suggest that a rhinovirus "common" antigen may be expressed some 48 hr after infection of Ohio HeLa cells with rhinoviruses. The CAIF test provides a sensitive, rapid and reliable procedure to detect wild-type rhinovirus infection as well as a clear alternative to detection by isolation.
al-Mulla
W
W
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University.
el Mekki
A
A
al-Nakib
W
W
D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003139:Common Cold / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology; D012229:Rhinovirus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013048:Specimen Handling
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000939:Epitopes