Antibody-mediated enhancement of infection by dengue virus of the P815 murine mastocytoma cell line.

Dengue type 2 virus (DEN 2) could replicate only to a limited extent in a murine mastocytoma cell line, P815. The viral multiplication was enhanced 10- to 100-fold by mouse anti-DEN 2 antiserum or anti-DEN 2 type-specific monoclonal antibody diluted beyond their neutralizing titers. Cells incubated with virus-antibody mixtures changed morphologically, developing a mature mast cell-like appearance, 4-5 days after infection. The indirect fluorescent antibody technique showed that the enhancement of infection was caused by an increase in the number of DEN 2-infected cells. This is the first report that cells of mast cell lineage support dengue virus multiplication, and that virus production is enhanced in the presence of anti-dengue antibodies.