Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-v9fdk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T04:34:18.641Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Hotting-up the complement-fixation test

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2009

C. J. Ronalds ,
A. E. Hardiman  and
P. D. Griffiths
C. J. Ronalds
Affiliation:
Virology Department, St Bartholomew's Hospital, West Smithfield, London EC1
A. E. Hardiman
Affiliation:
Virology Department, St Bartholomew's Hospital, West Smithfield, London EC1
P. D. Griffiths
Affiliation:
Virology Department, St Bartholomew's Hospital, West Smithfield, London EC1
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

A detailed investigation into the effect of modifying the incubation temperature of the complement-fixation (CF) test is described. For varicella-zoster virus cytomegalovirus and rubella virus, increasing the incubation temperature progressively increased the sensitivity of the CF test to reach a maximum at 15°C, at which temperature the geometric mean titre of seropositive samples was significantly greater than that found at 4°C. For these three viruses, each serum shown to contain IgG antibodies by ultrasensitive radioimmunoassay procedures was detected by CF following incubation at 15°C. No false-positive reactions occurred at 15°C, but it was our impression that anticomplementary activity was enhanced at this temperature. Significant increases in antibody titre at 15°C were also seen when measles virus, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus and Mycoplasma pneumoniae were employed as CF antigens. The results demonstrate that the CF test should be performed at 15°C if optimum sensitivity is to be achieved. The ability of the test to detect significant rises in antibody titre was not impaired at the higher incubation temperature.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 90 , Issue 1 , February 1983 , pp. 127 - 134
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

References

REFERENCES

Armitage, P. (1971). Statistical methods in medical research. Oxford. Blackwell.Google Scholar
Bradstreet, C. M. P. & Taylor, C. E. D. (1962). Technique of complement-fixation test applicable to the diagnosis of virus diseases. Monthly Bulletin of the Ministry of Health and the Public Health Laboratory Service 21, 96–104.Google Scholar
Cameron, C. H. (1978). Experiments with solid-phase radioimmunoassay in rapid diagnosis of hepatitis B. Journal of Medical Virology 3, 27–30.Google Scholar
Campbell-Benzie, A., Kangro, H. O. & Heath, R. B. (1981). The development and evaluation of a solid-phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) procedure for the determination of susceptibility to varicella. Journal of Virological Methods 2, 149–158.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fenner, F. J. & White, D. O. (1976). Medical Virology, 2nd ed.New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Griffiths, P. D., Buie, K. J. & Heath, R. B. (1978). A comparison of complement fixation, indirect immunofluorescence for viral late antigens and anti-complement immunofluorescence tests for the detection of cytomegalovirus specific serum antibodies. Journal of Clinical Pathology 31, 827–831.Google Scholar
Griffiths, P. D., Campbell-Benzie, A. & Heath, R. B. (1980). A prospective study of primary cytomegalovirus infection in pregnant women. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 87, 308–314.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grist, N. R., Bell, E. J., Follett, E. A. C. & Urquhart, G. E. D. (1979). Diagnostic methods in clinical virology, 3rd ed.Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Hawkes, R. A. (1979). General principles underlying laboratory diagnosis of viral infections. In Diagnostic Procedures for Viral and Rickettsial Infections, 5th ed. (ed. Lennette, E. H. and Schmidt, N. H.). American Public Health Association.Google Scholar
Kanoro, H. O. (1980). Evaluation of a radioimmunoassay for IgM-class antibodies against cytomegalovirus. British Journal of Experimental Pathology 61, 512–520.Google Scholar
Morgan-Capner, P., Pullen, H. J. M., Pattison, J. R., Bidwell, D. E., Bartlett, A. & Voller, A. (1979). A comparison of three tests for rubella antibody screening. Journal of Clinical Pathology 32, 542–545.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schubert, J. H., Stanford, S. M. & Tiffany, E. J. (1951). Comparative evaluation of several complement fixation techniques for laboratory diagnosis of the rickettsioses. Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine 37, 388–393.Google Scholar
Sever, J. L. (1962). Application of a microtechnique to viral serological investigations. Journal of Immunology 88, 320–329.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed