Skip to main content
Postgraduate Medical Journal logoLink to Postgraduate Medical Journal
. 1976 Jun;52(608):373–378. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.52.608.373

Preparation and immunogenicity of a purified influenza virus haemagglutinin and neuraminidase subunit vaccine

W G Laver, R G Webster
PMCID: PMC2496313  PMID: 785428

Abstract

A vaccine was prepared containing the haemagglutinin and neuraminidase subunits from the A/Port Chalmers. 1/73 (H3N2) strain of influenza virus. The virus particles were disrupted with ammonium deoxycholate and the matrix protein, which was insoluble in this detergent, was removed by centrifugation. Following removal of deoxycholate, the haemagglutinin and neuraminidase subunits aggregated by their hydrophobic ends, forming mixed clusters. These were then freed from nucleocapsids by electrophoresis.

The haemagglutinin and neuraminidase subunits were as effective as intact inactivated virus (at equivalent concentration) in eliciting a late primary antibody response when injected in saline into rabbits.

In humans also, the subunits were as immunogenic as intact inactivated virus particles at equivalent concentration. Many people, however, responded only to the ‘common’ antigenic determinant(s) on the haemagglutinin subunit of Port Chalmers/73 virus and did not respond at all to the ‘specific’ determinant(s). Sera from these people contained antibodies which reacted equally as well with Hong Kong/68 virus as with the Port Chalmers/73 strain and none which reacted exclusively with the latter virus.

Full text

PDF
376

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Cowan K. M. Antibody response to viral antigens. Adv Immunol. 1973;17:195–253. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2776(08)60733-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. LAVER W. G. STRUCTURAL STUDIES ON THE PROTEIN SUBUNITS FROM THREE STRAINS OF INFLUENZA VIRUS. J Mol Biol. 1964 Jul;9:109–124. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(64)80094-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Laver W. G., Downie J. C., Webster R. G. Studies on antigenic variation in influenza virus. Evidence for multiple antigenic determinants on the hemagglutinin subunits of A-Hong Kong-68 (H3 N2) virus and the A-England-72 strains. Virology. 1974 May;59(1):230–244. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(74)90218-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Laver W. G., Valentine R. C. Morphology of the isolated hemagglutinin and neuraminidase subunits of influenza virus. Virology. 1969 May;38(1):105–119. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(69)90132-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. QUILLIGAN J. J., Jr, FRANCIS T., Jr, MINUSE E. Reactions to an influenza virus vaccine in infants and children. Am J Dis Child. 1949 Sep;78(3):295–301. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1949.02030050308001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Virelizier J. L., Allison A. C., Schild G. C. Antibody responses to antigenic determinants of influenza virus hemagglutinin. II. Original antigenic sin: a bone marrow-derived lymphocyte memory phenomenon modulated by thymus-derived lymphocytes. J Exp Med. 1974 Dec 1;140(6):1571–1578. doi: 10.1084/jem.140.6.1571. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Postgraduate Medical Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES