Earl A. Edwards

A Simplified Method for Virus-Tissue Culture Procedures in Microtitration Plates.

Summary A simplified method for virus-tissue culture practices accomplished in microtitration plates reduces time, materials, and effort, yet agrees well with results obtained by conventional tissue culture tube methods. Neutralization tests for poliovirus Type III performed by both methods indicated a high degree of compatibility.

Antibody response to bovine serum albumin in mice: the efffects of psychosocial environmental change.

Abstract The effects of psychosocial environmental change upon circulating antibody response to antigenic challenge was investigated in CBA/USC mice. Mice were reared in isolation and selected groups were subsequently exposed to psychosocial stimulation. Antibody titers of mice that remained in isolation were significantly higher than the titers of mice exposed to psychosocial stimulation. One group of mice exposed to psychosocial stimulation and then returned to isolation showed titers significantly below those of mice exposed to psychosocial stimulation only. These data indicate that psychosocial environmental changes can be productive of significant suppression of antibody formation in mice.

Visualization by immune electron microscopy of viruses associated with acute respiratory disease.

A sensitive and rapid method for detecting adenovirus and influenza viruses has been demonstrated by using both the direct and indirect immune electron microscopy technique. The indirect method was from 4 to over 32 times more sensitive than the direct method. The technique appears to have the sensitivity approaching tissue culture methods, but is much more rapid, requires less laboratory support personnel and space, and should lend itself to detection of noncytologic agents. These data suggest a new role for the electron microscope in diagnostic virology.

Immunologic Tolerance in Rats to Type Specific Antigens of Human Erythrocytes.

Summary and Conclusions Intraperitoneal injection of human erythrocytes in pre-natal or neo-natal rats reduces antibody response to subsequent immunizations. No ill-effects were observed in any of the experimental animals surviving the initial injection and there was no difference in growth rate from the uninjected controls. These studies suggest that it is possible to confer type specific tolerance to subsequent immunization of A and D (Rho) antigens of human erythrocytes.

NBT reduction by human neutrophils stimulated by adenoviruses in vitro.

Summary Adenoviruses were shown to stimulate the reduction of NBT-dye by human neutrophils in vitro. This factor was associated with naturally occurring, but not attenuated vaccine strains of adenovirus, types 4 and 7. The stimulatory factor was inactivated by heat and trypsin and neutralized by homotypic and heterotypic hyperimmune rabbit antisera against wild virus, but not by antisera to vaccine viruses. Some of the characteristics of the stimulatory factor are similar to those previously described for adenoviral toxins associated with penton bases of the virion. The implications of these phenomena in the differentiation of vaccine from wild type viruses and in pathogenesis of adenovirus disease are discussed. The authors wish to express their appreciation for the excellent assistance rendered by the following individuals: Enzymatic procedures—Mr. Ralph Lytle, Chief, Biochemistry Division; tissue culture and virus isolation—Mr. James Schoen, Virology Division; manuscript preparation—Mrs. Lula M. Duggan, Editorial Assistant, Publications Division; and to the various blood donors for their generous support.