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The Effect of Dilution on the Reaction between Pneumococcus and Its Specific Antibody¹

Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri

Abstract

Attempts to ascertain the mode of inactivation of viruses by their specific antiviral antibodies have sometimes led to the conclusion that the mechanism of inactivation differs from that observed with bacteria and their specific antisera. While many investigators hold the view that a loose and dissociable union of virus with antibody occurs (1, 2), some (3) have been led to conclude that no "in vitro" union between the virus and the so-called neutralizing antibody exists. Such a concept is based on experimental findings of the following nature: 1) a neutral mixture of virus and antiserum becomes infective upon dilution, i.e., the "dilution-phenomenon" (4, 5); 2) from neutral mixtures, virus or antiserum may be recovered, sometimes apparently quantitatively (3, 6); 3) a mixture which is neutral by one route may be infective by another (5, 6); 4) absorption of neutralizing antibodies from an antiviral serum by virus preparations is usually difficult and frequently impossible (3).

Footnotes

¹ Aided by a grant from the Eli Lilly Company, Indianapolis, Indiana.