Abbas M. Behbehani

IDENTIFICATION OF THAI C-18 VIRUS AS A MEMBER OF THE COXSACKIE VIRUS A20 SUBGROUP.

Summary Thai C-18 virus, previously believed to be a new enterovirus type, has been shown to belong to the Coackie virus A20 subgroup. Four antigenic variants are now known for this subgroup. The indicator strain of choice within the subgroup is A20A, as it is most readily neutralized by antisera against all 4 variants.

CONTINUOUS CELL STRAINS DERIVED FROM HUMAN ATHEROMATOUS LESIONS AND THEIR VIRAL SUSCEPTIBILITY.

Summary Of 60 biopsies of atheromatous lesions, 40 were grown in tissue culture, and 11 were successfully transferred for 6 or more passages. Four of the aorta or A cell strains were carried for about 30 passages over a period of about 6 months. After this they become senescent and degenerate like the Wistar fibroblast strains. However, the A cell strains may be revived from the large stocks of cells being maintained in a liquid nitrogen depository. The cultures appear to consist of a mixture of fibroblastic and endothelioid cells. The cells have a high susceptibility to DNA viruses (pox-, herpes- and adenovirus groups) and to RNA viruses (myxo-, reo-, and picor-navirus groups). They seem to be particularly susceptible to some of the rhinoviruses which have a limited host cell range.

A paramyxovirus isolated from human atheromatous lesion

Abstract A survey of viruses in human atheromatous lesions was made. A single agent was isolated in green monkey kidney cell cultures from one specimen of 60 atheromatous lesions studied. The virus, labeled AT-7, was found to be closely related antigenically to the SA-DA-SV5 group of paramyxoviruses. The patient who yielded the virus was found to have both neutralizing and hemagglutination-inhibiting antibodies against AT-7 virus. The virus produced no cytopathic changes in green monkey kidney cultures, but it could be recognized in such infected cultures by the hemagglutinin produced in the course of its multiplication. The virus was studied in the electron microscope and found to be a typical paramyxovirus. The virus particles, pleomorphic in shape, range from 70 to 250 mμ in diameter with internal nucleoprotein helices measuring about 18 mμ in diameter.

On the Alleged Antigenic Relation between ECHO Virus Types 29 and 32.

Discussion and summary The data presented here indicate clearly that the previously reported antigenic relationship between ECHO types 29 and 32 was the result of working with a mixture of the viruses in question. No antigenic relationship between these types was detected by tube neutralization, plaque-reduction, or hemagglutination-inhibition tests when “purified” reagents were employed.