CELL-MEDIATED-IMMUNITY TO VIRUSES MEASURED BY INDIRECT AGAROSE TECHNIQUE OF LEUKOCYTE MIGRATION-INHIBITION

The indirect agarose technique of leukocyte migration inhibition was used to measure the response of human peripheral blood lymphocytes to several viruses [herpes simplex virus type 1, mumps virus, cytomegalovirus, adenovirus]. Using commerically available viral antigens, the indirect assay was more sensitive than the direct agarose technique. Supernatants from cultures of sensitive lymphocytes with virus contained a nondialyzable factor which inhibited the migration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). Under strict conditions of assay, whereby all culture supernatants were tested together on the same PMN preparation, the degree of migration inhibition obtained in response to mumps virus correlated well with the size of the skin test reaction to mumps. A similar relationship was shown for PPD [purified protein derivative]. A good correlation also existed between the degree of migration inhibition and the lymphocyte transformation response for each of these 2 antigens.