Kinetics of reactions of antihemagglutinin and antineuraminidase antibodies with H2N2 and H3N2 influenza virus strains and description of a modification of the photometric ACU method for titration of antineuraminidase antibodies.

The isotherms describing the reactions of selected H2N2 and H3N2 virus strains with antihemagglutinin (AH) and antineuraminidase (AN) antibodies were established by use of a photometric hemagglutination inhibition test [antibody concentration unit (ACU) method]. It was found that the AN antibody isotherms had significantly higher values of the constant 1/N than did the AH antibody isotherms. This finding confirms for further virus strains the conclusion that the photometric ACU method can discriminate objectively between AN and AH antibodies. The results obtained when determining by use of the photometric ACU method the kinetics of reactions of AN antibodies oriented to A/Bel (HO)-A/Sing (N2) virus with the neuraminidases of H2N2 and H3N2 strains, and vice versa, indicated that the N2 neuraminidases of the test strains could be divided into the following groups: One group comprising the strains A/Sing/1/57 and A/AA/1/65, a second comprising the strains A/Hong Kong/1/68 and A/England/42/72 and a third represented by A/Port Chalmers/1/73. This finding indicated progressive antigenic variation of the neuraminidases of the strains tested. A modification of the photometric ACU method for the titration of AN antibodies oriented to N2 strains has been developed. The modified technique was found to be more sensitive and accurate than was AN antibody titration by means of enzyme inhibition and HI pattern test.