Hemagglutinins Associated with Certain Human Enteric Viruses.

Abstract

Monkey kidney cell culture fluids containing ECHO viruses 3, 6, 7, 10, 11 and 12 and Coxsackie B3 are capable of agglutinating human Group O erythrocytes in relatively high dilutions. All of 6 Group O donors, including one who was known to be Rh negative, yielded red cells of comparable activity. Numerous preparations of the prototype virus strains were shown to have hemagglutinating (HA) activity. Rabbit and monkey hyperimmune sera prepared in 4 different laboratories have high titers of specific hemagglutination-inhibiting (H-I) activity. In the case of Coxsackie B3, antisera prepared in hamsters by inoculation of mouse passage material was as active as that prepared by immunization of rabbits with preparations of Coxsackie B3 propagated in monkey kidney tissue cultures. Fifty-five newly isolatea strains, including 1 of E10. 7 of E11, 12 of E7, 8 of E12 and 27 of E6 uniformly demonstrated HA either immediately or after a few passages in monkey kidney cultures. A representative number of these are specifically inhibited by hyperimmune serum. Preliminary findings suggest that the HA property resides in the viral particle, that it is adsorbed by erythrocytes during the process of agglutination and may be eluted from them, exhausting red cell receptors during the process. Despite such similarities to the myxoviruses, additional data suggest that these agents do not belong to the myxovirus group.