Increased Efficiency of Group B Coxsackievirus Isolation from Clinical Specimens by Use of BGM Cells

Abstract

A continuous African green monkey kidney cell line, designated BGM, was compared with primary cynomolgus monkey kidney cells and human embryonic lung cells for efficiency of enterovirus isolation. A selective enhanced sensitivity of BGM cells both in terms of isolation rate and speed of isolation was found for group B coxsackieviruses but could not be demonstrated for a number of other nonpolio enteroviruses.

A‐549 is a suitable cell line for primary isolation of coxsackie B viruses

“…Interestingly, when A-549 and BGM were compared, the same number of coxsackie B isolates was recovered from both cell lines, and the CPE appeared on approximately the same day. The ®rst CPE of coxsackie B virus in A-549 cells was detected later than in previous studies evaluating BGM cells [Dagan and Menegus, 1986;Menegus and Hollick, 1982], but the mean time for CPE detection may have been prolonged falsely because the tubes were not scored for CPE during the weekend. Some researchers have found a small number of coxsackie B virus isolates, ranging from 7% to 23%, growing in MRC-5 cells [Menegus and Hollick, 1982;Dagan and Menegus, 1986].…”

“…The ®rst CPE of coxsackie B virus in A-549 cells was detected later than in previous studies evaluating BGM cells [Dagan and Menegus, 1986;Menegus and Hollick, 1982], but the mean time for CPE detection may have been prolonged falsely because the tubes were not scored for CPE during the weekend. Some researchers have found a small number of coxsackie B virus isolates, ranging from 7% to 23%, growing in MRC-5 cells [Menegus and Hollick, 1982;Dagan and Menegus, 1986]. The absence of coxsackie B virus isolates in MRC-5 cells in this study could be related to the short incubation period (7 days), but even accepting that some coxsackie B virus isolates will grow in MRC-5 cells if the incubation period is long enough, the identi®cation of a probable coxsackie B virus will be anticipated by an earlier CPE in A-549 cells.…”

“…However, primary monkey kidney cells are expensive or unavailable to many laboratories, and Hep-2 and RD cells are dif®cult to manage due to rapid growth and deterioration. It is currently accepted that BGM is the most susceptible cell line for coxsackie B viruses [Schmidt et al, 1978;Menegus and Hollick, 1982;Dagan and Menegus, 1986]. A-549 cells were not even considered in a recent review [Rotbart, 1999], although Woods and Young pointed out their potential utility in 1988.…”

Presumptive identification of enteroviruses with RD, HEp-2, and RMK cell lines

“…Group A coxsackievirus is commonly isolated after inoculation into suckling mice, but members of this group have been reported to be isolated in RMK and RD cell lines (with the exception of types Ai, A19, and A22) (4, 10, 11, 13). Group B coxsackievirus produces CPE in RMK, buffalo green monkey kidney, and HEp-2 cells but not in RD cells (1,8,10,11).…”

“…It has been well documented that each of the four groups of enteroviruses has specific growth characteristics in cell culture (1, 4 , 5,7,8,[10][11][12][13]. Poliovirus produces cytopathic effect (CPE) in many cell types, including but not exclusive to primary rhesus monkey kidney (RMK), human embryonic kidney, rhabdomyosarcoma (RD), and buffalo green monkey kidney cells (7).…”