Carrier cultures of human fetal diploid cells infected with coxsackievirus type B2

Abstract

Carrier cultures of coxsackievirus type B2, strain V1-013 were established without the use of “normal” human serum or serum containing viral antibodies, and without frequent changes of medium. Blind passage of virus strain V1-013 in human fetal diploid (HFD) cell cultures on maintenance medium resulted in viral multiplication without apparent CPE. In addition, human fetal diploid cultures infected with the V1-013 virus strain could be subcultivated for over 20 transfers, and infectious virus and antigen demonstrable by immunofluorescent staining were present at each passage level; again, viral multiplication occurred without apparent CPE. Sustained infections were not observed when HFD cells were inoculated with two other (Ohio and Lincoln) B2 coxsackievirus strains; however, the life-span of inoculated cultures was reduced in comparison to that of control cultures.