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An Evaluation of the Test for Antihemagglutinin in the Diagnosis of Infections by the Mumps Virus^*

Frederick C. Robbins, Lawrence Kilham, Jeanette H. Levens and John F. Enders

From the Research Division of Infectious Diseases of the Children's Hospital, Children's Medical Center, Boston and the Department of Epidemiology of the Harvard School of Health and the Departments of Bacteriology and Immunology and Pediatrics of the Harvard Medical School

Abstract

Introduction. In 1945, Levens and Enders (1) observed that the amniotic and allantoic fluids of chick embryos infected with mumps virus agglutinated the erythrocytes of the hen.¹ This agglutination was specifically inhibited by high dilutions of serum of man and the rhesus monkey convalescent from mumps. Human sera taken early in the disease and normal monkey sera in most instances inhibited hemaggalutination only in low dilutions. But with certain specimens of normal or "acute" serum inhibition did occur with fairly high dilutions. Accordingly, at that time we did not recommend this test for antihemagglutinin in the routine diagnosis of infections by mumps virus, although obviously it is less complicated than the complement fixation test which had earlier been shown to be useful for this purpose (2).

Recent investigations have been undertaken directed toward overcoming the irregularities previously encountered in the test for antihemagglutinin.

Footnotes

^* Aided in part by a grant from the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, Inc.

¹ Subsequently it has been found that the red blood cells of other species including man, rhesus monkey, guinea pig, sheep and duck are likewise agglutinated by mumps virus.

Senior Fellow in Virus Diseases of the National Research Council.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. Jungherr, R. E. Luginbuhl, and L. Kilham Serologic Relationships of Mumps and Newcastle Disease Science, September 30, 1949; 110(2857): 333 - 334. [PDF]