scholarly journals STUDIES ON HOST-VIRUS INTERACTIONS IN THE CHICK EMBRYO-INFLUENZA VIRUS SYSTEM

1949 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Werner Henle

Upon injection of active influenza A or B virus into the allantoic cavity of the developing chick embryo, an average of only 70 per cent of the agent was adsorbed onto the tissue, as measured by the difference between the quantity of virus injected and that found free in the allantoic fluid of the injected eggs during the constant period. The degree of adsorption was similar, regardless of whether 109 or 102 ID50 of active virus was injected. Attempts to demonstrate the adsorbed virus in suspensions of the infected tissue met with partial success only in that not more than 1 to 5 per cent of the amount calculated to be adsorbed was actually found. All efforts to increase the yield of virus have failed. These results led to the suggestion that the seed virus, which participates in the propagation, becomes altered in such a way that it no longer may be demonstrated by infectivity titrations, whereas the active virus found represents superficially adsorbed virus, which does not multiply.

1949 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Werner Henle

Experiments have been reported on the propagation of influenza viruses in the allantoic membrane of the developing chick embryo during the first infectious cycle. After adsorption of the seed virus onto the host cells, only a small percentage of it remains demonstrable by infectivity titrations. This amount remains constant for 4 hours in the case of infection with PR8 virus, and for 6 hours in that of infection with Lee virus. Thereafter, a sharp rise in infectivity occurs 2 to 3 hours before liberation of the new generations of active virus into the allantoic fluid can be detected. Injection of homologous virus, inactivated by ultraviolet irradiation, following infection prevents or delays the production of virus in the tissues, depending to some extent upon the number of ID50 of active virus used as inoculum. The smaller the dose, the more pronounced the inhibitory effect. With increasing delay in the injection of the inhibitor, progressively more virus is produced and liberated 6 and 9 hours after infection with PR8 and Lee virus, respectively. Thus, production of virus may be interrupted by the homologous inhibitor when given up to 3 hours after infection with PR8, and up to4½ hours after infection with Lee virus. Since no increase in infectivity can bedetected during these 3 and 4½ hour periods in the tissues, it is suggested that influenza virus propagates in at least two major stages: first, non-infectious, immature virus material is produced which, subsequently, is converted into the fully active agent. Presumably the first step can be interrupted by the homologous inhibitor, while the second cannot. Heterologous irradiated virus, injected after infection of the tissue, exerts only a slight inhibitory effect on the production of virus.


1949 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Werner Henle ◽  
Gertrude Henle

In agreement with earlier observations the infectivity titer in the allantoic fluids of chick embryos injected with influenza A virus remains constant for 5 to 6 hours before an increase in this activity can be noted. In contrast, the titers of hemagglutinin and complement-fixing antigen (virus antigen) have already begun to rise after 3 hours. The origin of the hemagglutinating and complement-fixing but non-infectious material is still obscure. In the allantoic membrane development of both the soluble and virus antigens can be demonstrated after the 2nd hour of incubation and 1 hour prior to an increase in hemagglutinins and 2 hours prior to a rise in infectivity. Thus there remain the first 2 hours during which no record of virus activity in the tissues can be obtained. Similar relationships are noted on dilution of the seed both in the allantoic fluids and membranes as long as the various properties reach measurable levels during the experimental period of one infectious cycle. Injection of high titered immune serum following infection with about 109 ID50 reduces the amount of demonstrable seed virus in the allantoic fluid and membrane without significantly affecting propagation of the agent in the tissues as measured by infectivity titrations. The production of hemagglutinins appears markedly reduced under these conditions whereas formation of complement-fixing antigen is only slightly delayed and decreased. No definite explanations for the various discrepancies between the infectivity and hemagglutination can be given at present.


1951 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 291-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar C. Liu ◽  
Werner Henle

The combined passage of influenza A and B viruses in series, as reported by Sugg and Magill, has been confirmed. When the mixed passage materials were not too highly diluted both agents could be traced through 10 transfers. Growth curve experiments revealed that both agents developed independently, as measured by hemagglutination-inhibition tests in the presence of specific immune sera against one or the other type. However, the hemagglutinin titers of the 2 viruses in the mixed series were always substantially lower than those recorded when the strains were used individually as seed in the same concentrations as were employed in the mixed series. Assay of the infectivity titers of the individual strains in the presence of appropriate immune sera led to the demonstration that the time required for the growth cycle of influenza B virus varied with the dose of seed virus. With undiluted infected allantoic fluid as seed only 4 to 5 hours elapsed before new generations of virus were liberated. With increasing 10-fold dilution of the seed the constant period became increasingly longer until it stabilized at 8 to 10 hours. This finding offers an explanation for the seeming discrepancy between the observations on interference between the 2 viruses and the difference reported previously in the extent of their growth periods, on the one hand, and the fact that the 2 agents could be carried simultaneously in series through numerous passages in the chick embryo.


1955 ◽  
Vol 101 (5) ◽  
pp. 493-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kurt Paucker ◽  
Werner Henle

An experimental analysis is here presented of the conditions that lead to the appearance of non-infectious hemagglutinins (NIHA) in the allantoic fluid of chick embryos injected with standard influenza virus (PR8 strain) which had been exposed to 37°C. in vitro for various periods of time. On progressive reduction of the infectivity of the undiluted inocula from about 109 to 103 ID50 (103.2 HA units) the yields of infectious virus in 24 hours decreased in straight correspondence 1 millionfold, but those of hemagglutinins only by a factor of 10. Thus the proportions of NIHA in the yields increased sharply but the total quantity obtained decreased gradually. The quantities of infectious virus produced per ID50 injected were the same throughout this range; i.e., between 50 and 100 ID50, regardless of increasing proportions of heat-inactivated virus in the seeds. This value agrees with previous estimates of yields under other conditions. Thus, initiation and completion of first cycles by the infectious virus remaining in the inocula were not, or at most, slightly inhibited. The inactivated virus, therefore, failed to establish immediate interference. It was capable, however, of holding the infectious process to one cycle. Upon 10-fold dilution of the seeds essentially similar results were obtained except that a slight loss in interfering activity could now be detected with an increase in exposure to 37°C. With further dilutions little or no interference was noted. The capacity to yield NIHA decreased slowly during exposure of the seeds to 37°C. over a period of 5 days, thereafter more rapidly. It could not be restored by addition of infectious virus. Furthermore, since NIHA was obtained when the seeds contained as little as 102 or 103 ID50, it is unlikely that it was derived from those cells which had adsorbed both infectious and inactivated seed virus. It is suggestive that multiple adsorption of inactivated virus particles per se will yield NIHA. The available information, as discussed, favors the view that the NIHA does not represent seed virus in some form but is newly produced.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeming Wang ◽  
Guohui Fan ◽  
Peter Horby ◽  
Fredrick Hayden ◽  
Qian Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The objective of this study was to investigate the difference in disease severity between influenza A and B among hospitalized adults using a novel ordinal scale and existing clinical outcome end points. Methods A prospective, observational study was conducted over the 2016–2018 influenza seasons in a central hospital. The primary outcome was the rate of clinical improvement, defined as a decline of 2 categories from admission on a 7-category ordinal scale that ranges from 1 (discharged with normal activity) to 7 (death), or hospital discharge up to day 28. Results In total, 574 eligible patients were enrolled, including 369 (64.3%) influenza A cases and 205 (35.7%) influenza B cases. The proportion of patients with a worse ordinal scale at admission was higher in influenza A than influenza B (P = .0005). Clinical improvement up to 28 days occurred in 82.4% of patients with influenza A and 90.7% of patients with influenza B (P = .0067). The Cox model indicated that influenza B patients had a higher clinical improvement probability than influenza A cases (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.266; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.019–1.573; P = .0335). A similar pattern was observed in weaning oxygen supplement (adjusted HR, 1.285; 95% CI, 1.030–1.603; P = .0261). In-hospital mortality for influenza A was marginally higher than influenza B (11.4% vs 6.8%; P = .0782). Conclusions Our findings indicated that hospitalized patients with influenza A were more ill and had delayed clinical improvement compared with those with influenza B virus infection.


1956 ◽  
Vol 103 (6) ◽  
pp. 799-822 ◽  
Author(s):  
Werner Henle ◽  
Oscar C. Liu ◽  
Kurt Paucker ◽  
Florence S. Lief

Studies have been reported concerning the relationships between virus materials found in the allantoic membranes and media of eggs deembryonated after injection of Standard (ST), heat-inactivated (37°C.) standard (ΔST), and undiluted passage (UP) seeds. It was found that the membranes always contained relatively more non-infectious hemagglutinins (NIHA) than the media and, correspondingly, the ratios between infectious virus and hemagglutinin units (ID50/HA) in the tissues were up to 1.5 log10 units lower than in the liberated progeny. These differences were seen not only following inoculation of undiluted ST, ΔST, and UP seeds, the progenies of which always contain considerable proportions of NIHA, but also when dilute ST inocula were employed which lead to the liberation of only infectious virus. Essentially similar differences in the ID50/HA ratios were observed also in the allantoic membranes and fluids obtained from growth curve experiments in the intact chick embryo employing the various types of seeds. In correlating the liberated virus materials in the media of deembryonated eggs to those in the membranes it was noted that in any given 2 hour interval during the phase of nearly constant production and release up to 10 times the quantity of infectious virus was shed as was present in the tissues at the onset of that period. In contrast, only about ¼ of the hemagglutinins were released during the same time. The viral (V) and soluble (S) complement-fixing antigens were found in the tissues but no detectable quantities were released during any 2 hour interval. The NIHA in the membranes apparently is located within the cells since it could not be released by the action of RDE. Intracellular inhibitors of hemagglutination were readily inactivated following inoculation of undiluted ST, ΔST, or UP seeds but not when ultraviolet-inactivated virus was used. The inhibitor activity decreased in proportion to the hemagglutinins produced. Transfer of infected deembryonated eggs to the cold room after production and liberation of progeny were well under way immediately halted further release but in the tissues the status quo was maintained and release was resumed on return to the 37°C. incubator. The addition of potassium cyanide to the medium of deembryonated eggs at 37°C. during the period of nearly constant production and release of virus material reduced immediately and to comparable extents the ID50 and HA titers in the tissues and liberation decreased in proportion. On removal of the cyanide 2 hours later, both titers in the tissues gradually returned to those of the untreated control eggs with a corresponding increase in liberation. The ID50/HA ratios were not affected by these manipulations. It is concluded that the NIHA in the membranes forms part of a dynamic process. An attempt has been made in the discussion to integrate the present results with previous observations concerning the formation of incomplete forms of virus and their nature and role in the infectious process.


1954 ◽  
Vol 100 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman B. Finter ◽  
Oscar C. Liu ◽  
Melvin Lieberman ◽  
Werner Henle

The usefulness of the deembryonation technic has been analyzed as a tool in the study of various problems in the growth cycle of influenza virus in the entodermal cells of the allantoic of chick embryos. Various improvements in the deembryonation technic have been described. The method readily permits repeated sampling of the medium at various stages after infection (cumulative growth curves) or frequent exchanges of the medium (differential growth curve). However, the yield of infectious virus or of hemagglutinins is less than that observed in the intact chick embryo. The difference observed is greater than can be accounted for by the reduction in the available host cells and is assumed, therefore, to be due in part to interruption of blood and nutrient supply to the cells. This handicap can be overcome by the combined in ovo-deembryonation technic, in which deembryonation is performed at any desired time after infection of the intact chick embryo, and the medium is collected and analyzed after 1 to 3 hours of further incubation. The value of the technic is demonstrated by the fact that liberation of virus from infected cells can be detected earlier than in the intact egg. Furthermore, it continues at a nearly constant rate for many hours, thus proving to be erroneous previous inference which had been based upon in ovo experiments. The technic also permits readily the addition and subsequent removal of substances that might interfere with viral propagation. As an example a study was made of the effect of the receptor-destroying enzyme of V. cholerae (RDE) when added to the medium of eggs infected prior to deembryonation. By carefully grading the dose of virus and using an appropriate amount of RDE, one-step growth curves were obtained indicating that those cells not directly invaded by the seed virus were subsequently protected against infection by action of the enzyme. The smaller the amount of virus the less RDE was required in order to note a protective effect. With a decrease in the period of exposure to RDE regeneration of cell receptors became increasingly more apparent in that correspondingly greater amounts of virus were produced and liberated late in the incubation periods. These results confirmed and extended those reported by Stone. More extensive applications of these technics will be reported in subsequent papers of this series.


1955 ◽  
Vol 102 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank L. Horsfall

Influenza A and B virus reproduction in the allantoic membrane of the intact chicken embryo was studied quantitatively with particle enumeration procedures. Virus particles were enumerated on the basis of two independent properties; capacity to infect and to cause hemagglutination. The infective property of influenza B virus (Lee) was even more unstable than that of influenza A virus (PR8). Inactivation occurred at a constant logarithmic rate which was independent of the concentration of particles and corresponded with first order reaction kinetics. In allantoic fluid at 35°C. either in vitro or in vivo, Lee virus had a half-life for infectivity of only 85 minutes. In contrast, the hemagglutinating property, like that of PR8, was relatively stable and was not appreciably affected by 12 hours at 35°C. On the basis that the number of non-infective particles is equal to the number of hemagglutinating particles minus the number of infective particles and that the number of cells lining the allnatoic membrane is 1.8 x 107, the effects of various particle-cell ratios on the reproductive process were analyzed. Adsorption of infective and non-infective Lee particles occurred at the same logarithmic rate, i.e. about 50 per cent in 72 minutes, and the rate was nearly independent of the particle-cell ratio up to a value of 55. The adsorption capacity of an allantoic cell was at least 44 Lee or 89 PR8 particles. The interval before new particles appeared in the allantoic fluid increased as the particle-cell ratio was decreased with both Lee and PR8. At ratios of 0.2 or less, the appearance time for infective particles was nearly identical to that for hemagglutinating particles with both viruses. At ratios of about 1.0, the "latent period" in the allantoic membrane per se was computed to be 150 to 160 minutes for both Lee and PR8. The number of particles, both infective and hemagglutinating, increased at a constant logarithmic rate for 6 hours or more after the adsorptive period. With Lee virus, at a particle-cell ratio of 5 or less, the doubling time was constant and had a value of 43 minutes. The dynamics of the logarithmic increase period suggest that reproduction corresponds to an autocatalytic reaction in which the rate is proportional to the amount of material produced. When the particle-cell ratio was increased to 10 or more, either with infective or non-infective (inactivated at 35°C. or 22°C.) particles, the doubling time increased to 65 minutes. Comparable effects from high ratios were found with PR8. Non-infective particles accumulated at a rapid rate after the interval of constant logarithmic increase regardless of the particle-cell ratio. This accumulation was even more striking with Lee than with PR8 as was expected because of the shorter half-life of the infective property. With both viruses at particle-cell ratios of 4 or more, a large proportion of the particles were non-infective within a few hours after new particles appeared. At particle-cell ratios of 0.2 or less, the maximal yield was relatively constant, i.e., about 900 to 1400 hemagglutinating particles per cell with Lee and 500 to 900 with PR8. However, even with very low ratios, i.e. 0.001 or less, it was not possible to obtain more than about 160 infective particles per cell with either virus regardless of the interval. As was expected, the lower the ratio, the longer was the interval before maximal yields were produced. At ratios of about 10, the maximal yield was reduced by 50 per cent or more with both viruses. Comparable reductions in yield were obtained whether the high particle-cell ratio was due to infective or non-infective (inactivated at 35°C. or 22°C.) particles. These findings indicate that there is a critical particle-cell ratio above which alterations appear in the dynamics of reproduction of influenza viruses. This ratio has a value of approximately 3. The observed alterations in the reproductive process are discussed in relation to the hypothesis that adsorption of 3 or more infective or non-infective particles per cell induces cell damage.


1951 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 269-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar C. Liu ◽  
Werner Henle

The role of inhibitors of hemagglutination in the evaluation of host-virus interactions in the chick embryo-influenza virus system has been analyzed. Comparisons were made between materials (allantoic fluids and membrane suspensions) derived from in vivo (growth curve) experiments at hourly intervals after inoculation, and from in vitro tests in which normal allantoic fluids and membrane suspensions were incubated with virus at 37°C. for various periods of time. In both instances large amounts of virus were added to the systems, resulting in comparable concentrations of the agent. The seeds employed were either fully active or irradiated by ultraviolet light to the extent that the virus lost its capacity to increase but kept its interfering and hemagglutinating properties. The various materials were assayed for (a) the hemagglutinating titers of the virus present in the systems before and after heating to 56°C.; (b) the concentration of inhibitor in the materials at various stages of incubation after heating to 70°C. for 30 minutes as measured by the hemagglutination-inhibition reaction with native or heated test virus (30 minutes 56°C.); and (c) the degree of adsorption of the hemagglutinins present in the materials onto chicken red cells at 0°C. and their subsequent elution at 37°C. The effects of receptor-destroying enzyme (RDE), treatment with sodium periodate, or high speed centrifugation on the inhibitory activities were studied in some of the tests. The essential results which indicate certain sources of error in the evaluation of host-virus interactions as well as means for studying virus activity at the early stages of the infectious process, were as follows: 1. Though some inhibitory effects on hemagglutination were noticeable in the allantoic fluid during the 1st hour after inoculation they were, as a rule, no longer apparent after this interval, and treatment with RDE did not increase the hemagglutinin titers. Thus, the interpretation of growth curve data concerning allantoic fluids hardly seems to be affected by inhibitor. On the other hand, striking effects were noted with the membrane suspensions of growth curve experiments in that RDE shortened the latent period to 2 hours and the titers in the first few positive samples (4 to 5 hours) increased) whereas in later harvests no such effect was noted. Under these conditions complement-fixation antigens and hemagglutinins made their appearance in the tissues simultaneously and not as previously reported the former prior to the latter. However, the infectivity showed increments only several hours after these two activities had become measurable. Thus the hypothesis of the stagewise development of influenza virus is still supported by these data. 2. Using the inhibition of hemagglutination technic it was found that the inhibitor in allantoic fluid rapidly decreased as a result of the action of active and irradiated virus, but destruction was never complete. In the membranes of the in vivo series only active seed led to loss of inhibitor, again without complete destruction, beginning at the time complement-fixing antigen and hemagglutinins became measurable. Irradiated seed was without effect in vivo whereas, in the in vitro tests it equalled the activity of the active virus. The implications of this difference in the effectiveness of active and irradiated seed in vivo with regard to the understanding of the mode of viral multiplication are discussed. 3. Although many factors may influence the shape of adsorption-elution curves it is felt that at 0°C. the extent of adsorption is directly related to the amount of inhibitor present in the systems. In the early hours after inoculation the degree of adsorption was relatively small but it increased gradually with the time of incubation. The inhibitor of adsorption was destroyed by RDE and NaIO4 and was only partially sedimentable by high speed centrifugation. In every respect studied its properties corresponded with the findings obtained with inhibitors in the hemagglutination-inhibition technic. Although the difference in the rapidity of inhibitor destruction as measured by the various technics might suggest a multiplicity of inhibitors it is felt that it rather denotes a greater sensitivity of the adsorption technic as compared to the others.


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