Preparation of a respiratory syncytial virus human reference serum for use in the quantitation of neutralization antibody.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the major cause of lower respiratory tract infection in infants, young children and the elderly. Yet, the development of a vaccine to protect against RSV infection still remains an unmet need. At present, immune responses to experimental vaccines under investigation are usually evaluated by ELISA and/or by neutralization assays against RSV. However, both types of assays are generally performed somewhat differently at different laboratories. An important step towards standardization of serology is the use of a standard human reference serum enabling normalization of results generated within and between laboratories. To fill this need, we prepared and characterized a human reference serum against the A2 strain of respiratory syncytial virus. The serum represents a pool of more than 400 individual human sera obtained from commercial sources. The sera were screened and selected on the basis of individual RSV neutralization titers. A final neutralization titer of 973 (95% C.I., 884-1072) was assigned to the final reference serum pool after it was tested three times in the presence of 10% guinea pig complement and a titer of 286 (95% C.I., 243-337) was assigned to the serum when it was tested in the absence of an exogenous complement source. Sterilely reconstituted lyophilized aliquots of the serum exhibited a stable neutralization titer for at least 1 month at room temperature and at 4 degrees C, as well as after 5 weekly freeze-and-thaw cycles at -20 degrees C. In the lyophilized state, the neutralization titer of the lyophilized reagent was stable for at least 6 months, the last time point tested. Two additional smaller pools of serum with high and medium neutralization titers of 2692 and 575, respectively, were also produced in parallel for use as positive controls and were designated as control sera. The reference serum can be used to normalize neutralization and/or other RSV-specific assay results from different laboratories and the control sera can be used for quality control purposes or as part of a panel to test operator proficiency. Individual lyophilized aliquots of the reference and control sera may be obtained from the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Reference Reagent Repository.     

SARS-CoV-2重组S1和S蛋白疫苗诱导保护性免疫的研究*

目的:评价新型冠状病毒(SARS-CoV-2)重组S1蛋白和S蛋白疫苗对SARS-CoV-2的免疫保护效果。方法:将SARS-CoV-2重组S1蛋白和S蛋白分别联合氢氧化铝佐剂以0.1 μg/只、1 μg/只、5 μg/只、10 μg/只不同剂量接种6~8周BALB/c纯系健康雌性小鼠。第二次免疫后采血通过酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)检测血清中IgG抗体效价,通过假病毒中和试验比较免疫小鼠血清对SARS-CoV-2野生型株(WT)、英国株(B.1.1.7)、巴西株(P.1)、印度株(B.1.617.2)、Mu毒株(B.1.621)和南非株(501Y.V2-1)六种假病毒毒株中和活性效价,取脾细胞通过酶联免疫斑点技术(ELISpot)检测免疫小鼠的细胞免疫水平。结果:SARS-CoV-2重组S和S1蛋白都能诱导小鼠产生较强的IgG抗体水平。免疫S1蛋白的小鼠血清对SARS-CoV-2野生型株、英国株、巴西株有明显的中和活性,免疫S蛋白的小鼠血清除了对SARS-CoV-2野生型株、英国株、巴西株有明显中和活性之外,对印度株也有明显的中和活性,两种蛋白质免疫的小鼠血清均对野生型株中和效果最强。S蛋白免疫的小鼠脾细胞能够显著诱导出γ干扰素(IFN-γ)和白介素-4(IL-4)的产生。S蛋白诱导产生的IgG抗体、中和抗体、细胞免疫水平均高于S1。结论:SARS-CoV-2重组S蛋白疫苗能够诱导产生较强的保护性免疫应答。     

Yellow Fever Virus. II. Factors Affecting the Plaque Neutralization Test

In studies on the factors and conditions influencing the yellow fever (YF) virus plaque neutralization test, 60 min was found to be the minimal time necessary for equilibration of the virus-antibody complex at 23 and 37 C. Maximal virus titers in the diluent controls and the pre- and postinoculation serum-containing mixtures occurred by the 60-min adsorption time. Serum neutralization indices also seemed to level by this time. Heating (56 C for 30 min) decreased the neutralizing capacity of serum. However, the slope of the neutralization curve was not affected. The addition of native (unheated) "serum factor" in the form of fresh guinea pig or monkey sera partially restored the neutralizing activity lost by heating in some, but not all, sera. Many sera contained nonspecific inhibitors of YF virus infectivity and neutralization. Preliminary studies with ether extraction suggest that these inhibitors are lipid in nature.     

Human immunodeficiency virus neutralizing antibodies recognize several conserved domains on the envelope glycoproteins.

Serum neutralizing antibodies against the human immunodeficiency virus were frequently detected in infected individuals, and low or absent serum neutralizing titers correlated with poor prognosis. Multiple diverse human immunodeficiency virus isolates were found to exhibit similar susceptibility to neutralization by a panel of human seropositive sera, suggesting that neutralizing antibodies are largely directed against conserved viral domains. Furthermore, utilizing antisera raised against a library of synthetic env peptides, four regions which are important in the neutralization process have been identified within both human immunodeficiency virus envelope glycoproteins (gp41 and gp120). Three of these are in conserved domains and should be considered for inclusion in a candidate vaccine.     

Dengue reporter virus particles for measuring neutralizing antibodies against each of the four dengue serotypes

The lack of reliable, high-throughput tools for characterizing anti-dengue virus (DENV) antibodies in large numbers of serum samples has been an obstacle in understanding the impact of neutralizing antibodies on disease progression and vaccine efficacy. A reporter system using pseudoinfectious DENV reporter virus particles (RVPs) was previously developed by others to facilitate the genetic manipulation and biological characterization of DENV virions. In the current study, we demonstrate the diagnostic utility of DENV RVPs for measuring neutralizing antibodies in human serum samples against all four DENV serotypes, with attention to the suitability of DENV RVPs for large-scale, long-term studies. DENV RVPs used against human sera yielded serotype-specific responses and reproducible neutralization titers that were in statistical agreement with Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test (PRNT) results. DENV RVPs were also used to measure neutralization titers against the four DENV serotypes in a panel of human sera from a clinical study of dengue patients. The high-throughput capability, stability, rapidity, and reproducibility of assays using DENV RVPs offer advantages for detecting immune responses that can be applied to large-scale clinical studies of DENV infection and vaccination.     

Serology of Rubella—Comparison of Fluorescent Antibody,Complement Fixation and Neutralization Tests for Diagnosis of Current Infections and Determination of Sero-immunity

Neutralization, complement fixation (CF) and indirect fluorescent antibody (FA) assays for rubella virus were compared for sensitivity in the serologic diagnosis of infection, for demonstrating antibody in the sera of infants with suspected rubella syndrome, and in the detection of antibody elicited by past infection (determination of immunity status). The combination of CF and FA tests was shown to be the most useful for serologic diagnosis of infection, largely eliminating the need for the slower and more cumbersome interference neutralization test.Neutralizing antibodies were found to appear rapidly in the course of infection, antibodies demonstrable by immunofluorescent staining appeared slightly later, and CF antibodies were rarely demonstrable in sera collected earlier than 14 days after onset of illness. Antibodies detected by all three techniques showed good correlation in infants with clinical evidence of rubella syndrome and corresponding maternal sera. The indirect FA technique compared favorably with the neutralization test for the detection of antibody elicited by past infection (determination of immunity status) and offered distinct advantages in ease of technical performance and more rapid results. In both current and past infections, FA titers tended to be higher than neutralizing antibody titers.     

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive sera obtained shortly after seroconversion neutralize autologous HIV type 1 isolates on primary macrophages but not on lymphocytes

The aim of this study was to analyze the role of humoral immunity in early human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. As neutralizing activities in HIV-positive sera are rarely detectable earlier than 9 to 12 months after infection using primary lymphocytes as target cells in neutralization assays, humoral immunity is generally thought not to contribute significantly to early virus control in the patients. Besides lymphocytes, cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage are known to be important target cells for HIV in vivo during the establishment of the infection. Therefore, we studied the neutralization of early primary HIV isolates by autologous serum samples using primary macrophages as target cells in the neutralization assays. We analyzed neutralizing activities against the autologous HIV-1 isolates in 10 patients' sera taken shortly after seroconversion, both on primary macrophages and, for comparison, on lymphocytes. Viruses were isolated and expanded in primary mixed cultures containing macrophages and lymphocytes in order to avoid selection for one particular cell type. All viruses replicated to different degrees in macrophages and lymphocytes; nine had a nonsyncytium-inducing phenotype, and one was syncytium inducing. The detection of neutralizing antibodies in acute primary HIV infection depended on the target cells used. Confirming previous studies, we did not find neutralizing activities on lymphocytes at this early time point. In contrast, neutralizing activities were detectable in the same sera if primary macrophages were used as target cells. Differences in neutralizing activities on macrophages and lymphocytes were not due to different virus variants being present in the different cell systems, as gp120 sequences derived from both cell types were homogeneous. Neutralization activities on macrophages did not correlate with the amount of beta-chemokines in the sera. As affinity-purified immunoglobulin G preparations from an early patient serum also exhibited neutralization of the autologous virus isolate on primary macrophages, but not on lymphocytes, neutralization is very likely due to antibodies against viral epitopes necessary for infection of macrophages but not for infection of lymphocytes. Our data suggest that, along with cell-mediated immunity, humoral immunity may contribute to the reduction of primary viremia in the patient. This was further supported by a certain association between neutralizing antibody titers on macrophages and viral load in the patients.     

Analysis of antibody response in goats to caprine herpesvirus 1

Serum samples of goats experiencing natural and experimental infections and/or reactivation of caprine herpesvirus 1 (CpHV.1) were analysed with neutralization and Western blotting (WB) tests. WB immunological patterns resulted differently and related to neutralizing titers. In serum samples having neutralizing titer 1:2-1:4, antibodies to two proteins of Mw of 150 and 34 kDa were present. Antibodies against several proteins, two of those being characterized by monoclonal antibodies as gB and gC, were visualized by WB in sera having titer > or = 1:8. The neutralizing antibody titers and the pattern of antibody reactivity were hypothesized to modulate the reactivation and re-excretion process of CpHV.1.     

Detection of neutralizing antibodies against α-toxin of different Clostridium septicum strains in cell culture

Clostridium septicum, a ubiquitious organism, is the pathogen which causes the classical malignant edema after injuries. Because of its strong cytotoxic alpha-toxin, infections are often lethal. To prevent losses in animals, vaccination with alpha-toxoid vaccines is carried out. Quality control of the vaccines is done by a neutralization test in mice. A cytotoxin test and as an alternative method to detect neutralizing antibodies, a cytotoxin inhibition test was standardized. In the studies, alpha-toxin of the C. septicum reference strain (NC 547) from the National Collection of Type Cultures was compared with alpha-toxin of a field strain from an outbreak in Germany. Sera from five heterologous polyvalent and three monovalent vaccines from eight rabbit groups were available. Each vaccination had been carried out according to the procedure of the German Pharmacopoeia. In three out of the five sera of the groups vaccinated with the heterologous polyvalent vaccine, cytotoxin neutralizing antibodies were detected. High antibody titers were observed in sera of rabbits vaccinated with a vaccine of strain NC 547, lower titers in the sera of rabbits vaccinated with a vaccine of the field strain. No cytotoxin neutralizing antibodies could be found in the sera of rabbits vaccinated with the monovalent C. chauvoei vaccine. The toxins of all strains showed the same ranking of the vaccines. Vaccines which caused high antibody titers in the animals were detected by all toxins as such, as well as vaccines which had medium or low antibody inducing capacity. The results were independent of the C. septicum strain used for the production of alpha-toxin.     

Strain-Specific Neutralization of Human Cytomegalovirus Isolates by Human Sera

Induction of an effective antibody response against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is an important defense mechanism since it is potentially capable of neutralizing infectious viruses. We have analyzed the extent of HCMV strain-specific neutralization capacity in human sera. Nine recent HCMV isolates and their corresponding sera were investigated in cross-neutralization assays. We observed differences, independent of the overall neutralization capacity, in the 50% neutralization titers of the sera against individual strains, differences that ranged from 8-fold to more than 60-fold. For one isolate, complete resistance to neutralization by two human sera was observed. The neutralization capacity of human sera was not influenced by the presence of various concentrations (up to 100-fold excess) of noninfectious envelope glycoproteins, an inherent contamination of virus preparations from recent HCMV isolates. This indicated that the decisive parameter for neutralization is the titer of the neutralizing antibodies and that neutralization is largely independent of the concentration of virus. Analysis with transplant patients revealed that during primary infection strain-specific and strain-common antibodies are produced asynchronously. Thus, our data demonstrate that the induction of strain-specific neutralizing antibodies is a common event during infection with HCMV and that it might have important implications for the course of the infection and the development of anti-HCMV vaccines.     

Higher Throughput Quantification of Neutralizing Antibody to Herpes Simplex Viruses

We report a rapid, higher throughput method for measuring neutralizing antibody to herpes simplex virus (HSV) in human sera. Clinical isolates and sera from the Herpevac Trial for Women were used in a colorimetric assay in which infection of tissue culture (lack of neutralization) was indicated by substrate metabolism by beta-galactosidase induced in the ELVIS cell line. The neutralization assay was optimized by addition of guinea pig complement, which particularly enhanced neutralizing antibody titers to HSV-2. Higher neutralizing antibody titers were also achieved using virus particles isolated from the supernatant of infected cells rather than lysate of infected cells as the source of virus. The effect of assay incubation time and incubation time with substrate were also optimized. We found that incubating with substrate until a standard optical density of 1.0 was reached permitted a better comparison among virus isolates, and achieved reliable measurement of neutralizing antibody activity. Interestingly, in contrast to results in the absence of complement, addition of complement allowed sera from HSV-2 gD-vaccinated subjects to neutralize HSV-1 and HSV-2 clinical and laboratory isolates with equal potency.     

Effect of Complement and Viral Filtration on the Neutralization of Respiratory Syncytial Virus

The addition of 10 hemolytic units of guinea pig complement has been shown to enhance the neutralizing capacity of respiratory syncytial (RS) immune sera produced in guinea pigs and ferrets. This same immune sera, when tested without complement, had little or no neutralizing capacity. The addition of complement to RS immune horse serum did not significantly increase its neutralizing capacity. Immune horse serum effectively neutralized RS virus without complement. Other studies indicated that a 50% tissue culture infective dose of between 30 and 100 should be used in RS serum neutralization tests and that incubation should be for 90 to 105 min at room temperature. The neutralizing capacity of guinea pig immune serum was not increased by the use of filtered virus. The rate of virus neutralization, however, was increased with the addition of 10 hemolytic units of complement. The neutralizing capacity of RS immune horse serum was much greater for filtered than for unfiltered RS virus. The addition of complement increased the rate of virus neutralization but did not increase the neutralizing capacity of the horse immune serum.     

HPV16/18假病毒中和抗体检测方法的验证

目的应用假病毒中和法建立检测血清HPV16/18中和抗体滴度检测方法并进行验证。方法分别采用不同批次假病毒以及不同代次细胞对不同滴度的HPV16/18阳性血清进行多次平行检测,考察这些因素对检验结果的影响;同时通过对抗HPV16/18双价阳性血清、抗HPV16单价阳性血清和抗HPV18单价阳性血清的检测进一步评估中和抗体检测法的准确性、特异性及重复性。结果不同批次假病毒和不同代次细胞对检验结果的影响均在4倍范围内,此外该检测法的准确性、特异性、重复性均在可接受标准范围之内。结论建立的假病毒法可满足中和抗体效价检测的要求,可用于评价疫苗的免疫效果。     

RS virus components. II. Antigenicity.

Rabbits were immunized with RS virus components, isolated as described previously. The sera were tested by neutralization, double diffusion and complement-fixation. RS virus components induced low titers of precipitating and complement-fixing antibodies, and failed to stimulate the neutralizing antibodies.     

Herpesvirus infection in woodland caribou in Alberta, Canada

Sera and genital swabs collected from 121 adult woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in five subpopulations in northern Alberta, Canada, between December 1997 and October 1999, were examined for evidence of infection with herpesviruses or pestiviruses. No virus was isolated from sera or swabs, and no antibodies against bovine viral diarrhea virus were detected. However, 63 (52%) of the 121 animals had neutralizing antibody titers against bovine herpesvirus 1. There was sufficient serum from 37 of the 121 caribou to allow parallel testing for antibodies against a new alphaherpesvirus isolated from an elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni), and 20 animals had antibodies against this virus. Paired sera collected 11 mo apart from 14 caribou showed seroconversion in seven animals, indicating that an active herpesvirus infection was present. Virus neutralization data suggest that these caribou are infected with a distinct alphaherpesvirus.     

Immune Focusing and Enhanced Neutralization Induced by HIV-1 gp140 Chemical Cross-Linking

Experimental vaccine antigens based upon the HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins (Env) have failed to induce neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against the majority of circulating viral strains as a result of antibody evasion mechanisms, including amino acid variability and conformational instability. A potential vaccine design strategy is to stabilize Env, thereby focusing antibody responses on constitutively exposed, conserved surfaces, such as the CD4 binding site (CD4bs). Here, we show that a largely trimeric form of soluble Env can be stably cross-linked with glutaraldehyde (GLA) without global modification of antigenicity. Cross-linking largely conserved binding of all potent broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) tested, including CD4bs-specific VRC01 and HJ16, but reduced binding of several non- or weakly neutralizing antibodies and soluble CD4 (sCD4). Adjuvanted administration of cross-linked or unmodified gp140 to rabbits generated indistinguishable total gp140-specific serum IgG binding titers. However, sera from animals receiving cross-linked gp140 showed significantly increased CD4bs-specific antibody binding compared to animals receiving unmodified gp140. Moreover, peptide mapping of sera from animals receiving cross-linked gp140 revealed increased binding to gp120 C1 and V1V2 regions. Finally, neutralization titers were significantly elevated in sera from animals receiving cross-linked gp140 rather than unmodified gp140. We conclude that cross-linking favors antigen stability, imparts antigenic modifications that selectively refocus antibody specificity and improves induction of NAbs, and might be a useful strategy for future vaccine design.     

Complement-requiring neutralizing antibody in guinea pigs with primary and recurrent genital herpes

Guinea pigs inoculated intravaginally with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) strain 1868 produced a serum complement-requiring neutralizing (CRN) antibody during primary acute infection, i.e., 10 days postinoculation. The CRN antibody titers in the guinea pig sera decreased to less than 1:10 after heating at 56 degrees C for 30 min. It was found that 32 units of complement were necessary to obtain a satisfactory HSV-2 neutralizing antibody titer. Nonheated sera significantly reduced virus infectivity titers when mixed with 3.5 log10 PFU of HSV-2 and incubated at 37 degrees C for 20 to 60 min (P less than 0.001), whereas the same sera after heating at 56 degrees C for 30 min showed no inhibitory effect. Only 27.3% of infected guinea pigs had low serum non-CRN antibody titers ranging from 1:20 to 1:40. In addition, no evidence of increase in CRN antibody titers was noted during spontaneous recurrent genital herpes infection.     

Glycoprotein N of Human Cytomegalovirus Protects the Virus from Neutralizing Antibodies

Herpes viruses persist in the infected host and are transmitted between hosts in the presence of a fully functional humoral immune response, suggesting that they can evade neutralization by antiviral antibodies. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) encodes a number of polymorphic highly glycosylated virion glycoproteins (g), including the essential envelope glycoprotein, gN. We have tested the hypothesis that glycosylation of gN contributes to resistance of the virus to neutralizing antibodies. Recombinant viruses carrying deletions in serine/threonine rich sequences within the glycosylated surface domain of gN were constructed in the genetic background of HCMV strain AD169. The deletions had no influence on the formation of the gM/gN complex and in vitro replication of the respective viruses compared to the parent virus. The gN-truncated viruses were significantly more susceptible to neutralization by a gN-specific monoclonal antibody and in addition by a number of gB- and gH-specific monoclonal antibodies. Sera from individuals previously infected with HCMV also more efficiently neutralized gN-truncated viruses. Immunization of mice with viruses that expressed the truncated forms of gN resulted in significantly higher serum neutralizing antibody titers against the homologous strain that was accompanied by increased antibody titers against known neutralizing epitopes on gB and gH. Importantly, neutralization activity of sera from animals immunized with gN-truncated virus did not exhibit enhanced neutralizing activity against the parental wild type virus carrying the fully glycosylated wild type gN. Our results indicate that the extensive glycosylation of gN could represent a potentially important mechanism by which HCMV neutralization by a number of different antibody reactivities can be inhibited.     

Neutralization of respiratory syncytial virus by individual and mixtures of F and G protein monoclonal antibodies.

We identified several types of neutralization effected by F and G protein monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) reacted individually or as mixtures against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Neutralizing activity was identified by a microneutralization test in which virus replication was determined by enzyme immunoassay. Complete neutralization was seen only with MAbs against the F protein. Strain-specific neutralization, complete neutralization against some strains of RSV, and no neutralization against other strains were seen with an additional MAb against the F protein. Partial neutralization, virus replication significantly reduced but still present, and no neutralization were seen with MAbs against both the F and G proteins. Enhanced neutralization, enhanced efficacy of neutralization, or increased neutralizing titer with a mixture of two MAbs over that for the individual MAbs was seen with all MAbs against the F protein and all but three MAbs against the G protein. Most (10 of 13) of the MAbs that exhibited neutralizing activity reacted with some but not all strains of RSV in an enzyme immunoassay. The epitopes corresponding to these 10 MAbs probably contribute to the strain-specific component of the neutralizing antibody response to RSV. Our results suggest that interpretation of RSV neutralization with MAbs is complex and that studies of such neutralization should include mixtures of MAbs and multiple RSV strains.     

Induction and Characterization of Neutralizing Antibodies against a Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Primary Isolate

Chimpanzees infected with the primary isolate DH012 mount potent neutralizing antibodies. This DH012 neutralizing activity is highly strain specific. Immune sera from guinea pigs immunized with recombinant DH012 gp120 could also neutralize this primary isolate. The neutralizing activity in chimpanzee and guinea pig sera against wild-type DH012 appears to be independent of a linear epitope in the V3 region of gp120. Interestingly, the neutralization escape mutant derived from growing DH012 in the presence of the potent neutralizing chimpanzee serum is at least 50-fold more sensitive than wild-type DH012 to neutralization by guinea pig immune sera. The unusually potent neutralizing activity against the DH012 neutralization-resistant virus is due to the presence of anti-V3 antibodies in guinea pig sera. These results suggested that recombinant gp120 could induce neutralizing antibodies against primary isolate DH012. The V3 of wild-type DH012 is poorly immunogenic in infected chimpanzees and is not accessible to neutralizing V3 antibodies. It is likely that this cryptic V3 region became exposed when the virus escaped the neutralizing activity of the chimpanzee serum.