Microplaque reduction: new assay for neutralizing antibody to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus.

A plaque-reduction neutralization test for lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus was developed; microtiter dilution techniques and assay plates were used for the new test. Plaques develop by day 4 after inoculation of serum and lymphocytic chorio-meningitis virus into 5-mm cups containing agarose suspension of baby hamster kidney cells. The method lends itself well to the titration of neutralizing antibody and gives rapid results with great economy of reagents. When tested with one batch of 55 lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-positive sera, the plaque reduction test was more senstive for detection of specific antibody than either the immunofluorescence or the complement fixation method.