Comparison of Neutralization and Hemagglutination-Inhibition Techniques for Measuring Mumps Antibody

Abstract

Mumps hemagglutinating antigen treated with Tween 80 and ether showed 2- to 4-fold enhancement of hemagglutinin titer. The hemagglutinating activity of the treated antigen was stable on freezing and on storage for at least 3 months at 4°C. Sera from children following vaccination with Jeryl Lynn strain live mumps virus vaccine or following natural mumps infection nearly always gave higher antibody titers when the tween-ether treated antigen was used in the HI test than when whole virus antigen was employed. The serum neutralization test, however, was more sensitive than the HI technique and was required to detect antibody in specimens with low level of antibody. Comparative titer values of sera obtained by the various test procedures are presented.