Determination of mumps and influenza antibodies by haemolysis-in-gel

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Abstract
A stabilized modification of the single radial haemolysis-in-gel (HIG) technique was developed. Crude mumps or influenza virus preparations were coupled to erythrocytes with CrCl3 and mounted in agarose gel containing diluted guinea pig serum. Serial serum samples taken from 204 conscripts before and after vaccination with a killed mumps vaccine were analysed with the HIG technique. The results showed that the sensitivity of the HIG test in detecting seroconversion was higher than that of the conventional haemagglutination inhibition test (HI). The correlation between the diametre of the rings of haemolysis and antibody titres measured by the standard complement fixation (CF) technique was fairly good. 62 pairs of sera from patients with suspected influenza were tested by both the HIG-method and the conventional CF and HI techniques. The HIG test appeared to be as sensitive as the common methods in detecting increases in antibody levels. The HIG test was found to be insensitive to the nonspecific inhibitors of haemagglutination and aggregated IgG while it was slightly affected by the rheumatoid factor. These features together with the technical ease of performing the test, make the HIG test superior to the conventional HI and CF techniques in mumps and influenza diagnostics.