The constant-virus variable-serum neutralization test in chicken tracheal organ cultures was employed in cross-neutralization tests with the following infectious bronchitis viruses: Massachusetts 41, Connecticut, Iowa 97, Iowa 609, Holte, JMK, Clark 333, SE 17, Florida, and Arkansas 99. These viruses all proved serologically distinct by this method. Chickens immunized with the Connecticut strain and later challenged with Arkansas 99 were not protected against it.

An immuno-enzyme assay for measuring infectious bursal disease antibodies in chickens is described. The test is performed rapidly after coating plates overnight with partially purified antigen prepared in cell culture. Coated plates can be stored for at last 4 months. The chromatographically purified rabbit anti-chicken immunoglobulin-G, conjugated to horseradish peroxidase, was used optimally at a dilution of 1:3,000. It could be stored for at least 10 months without a reduction in titer. The test is safe, highly reproducible, specific, and sensitive. Results can be read visually or by spectrophotometry. Antibodies could be detected as early as 4 days postinfection. Serum titers rose rapidly to high levels, ranging from 1:1,600 to 1:25,600 by one week postinfection. High titers persisted for up to one year. The results of this assay compare favorably with results obtained with the agar-gel precipitin and virus-neutralization tests.

The proposed method was designed to replace the tedious and difficult separation of immunoglobulin M (IgM) from IgG by sucrose gradient sedimentation. In this method, a 250-rd portion of serum diluted 20-fold was passed through a small column of quaternary aminoethyl-Sephadex A-50 ion exchanger. IgG was not retained, but additional washes were required to remove all but 5%. A second buffer-eluting fluid recovered an average of 80% of the original IgM in a defined dilution. The entire operation took 15 min. The efficiency of this process was evaluated by the following: (i) radial immunodiffusion measurements of IgG and IgM; (ii) recovery studies of isohemagglutinins; and (iii) demonstrated removal of interference by the rheumatoid factor. The method was applied successfully to distinguish rubella IgM antibody.

Horse-radish peroxidase and glucose oxidase were each separately conjugated to identical aliquots of goat IgG containing anti-human IgG antibodies. We used a minor modification of the periodate method of Nakane and Kawaoi to covalently bind each enzyme to IgG. Glucose oxidase conjugates proved superior to peroxidase conjugates based on the following qualities. The glucose oxidase conjugates had 1) usable dilutions 2 to 10 times greater than peroxidase conjugates, 2) much lower background or control non-specific activities, and 3) nearly twice the sensitivity as expressed by absorbance change vs. change in antigen. Comparison of the antibody titers showed the glucose oxidase conjugate with 80% and the peroxidase conjugate with 20% of the original goat antibody.

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