The Significance of Neutralizing Substances in Resistance and Recovery From Poliomyelitis

Immunization Against Poliomyelitis

“…Moreover, serum tests at various stages of human poliomyelitis sometimes failed to show an increase of antibody titer between onset and convalescence, or even to show positive reactions at any stage. Instances were also found where paralysis developed although serum obtained during the preparalytic stage neutralized the virus (27,28). It was, therefore, questioned whether the virucidal agent in human blood was actually an antibody produced in response to viral antigen or a nonspecific substance originating in some other way.…”

“…Seven monkeys were used, all convalescent from attacks of paralytic poliomyelitis induced by intracerebral inoculation with strains of virus recently isolated from human patients. They were sacrificed respectively at 27,28,28,35,37,39 and 82 days after onset. They were perfused with saline, and the lumbar and cervical enlargements of the cord excised and placed on solid CO2.…”

Neutralization Tests in Poliomyelitis. Sera Taken During the Acute and Convalescent Stages of the Disease and Tested With a Passage Virus and a Strain Isolated During the 1935 New York City Outbreak 1

“…Moreover, the sera of 2 individuals which had neutralizing power in the first week of the illness did not show a demonstrable increase during convalescence. Other observers also found that neutralizing substances did not develop readily during convalescence following paralysis (15,19).…”

“…Kling and Levaditi (6), Flexner and Amoss (7), and Harmon and Harkins (15) also recorded instances in which protective substances were detected in the first week of illness. The first two authors (6,7) thought that the detected neutralizing bodies had developed rapidly after the onset, while Harmon and Harkins (15) believed that they were present prior to infection. We concur with the latter opinion, for protective substances were found very early in the disease and did not develop readily in convalescence.…”

Dynamics and Mechanism of Immunity Reactions in Vivo

“…On the other hand, the virus of poliomyelitis seems to resemble the virus of rabies. Olitsky and Cox (41), Haon and Harkins (29), Gordon (28), and Schultz and Gebhardt (50) found difficulties in protecting rhesus monkeys passively against the intracerebral injection of poliomyelitis virus even by the intravenous administration of the largest amounts of a highly potent immune serum. Since antibodies against the virus of poliomyelitis can be identified with the aid of the direct intracerebral test in monkeys, the findings of the above mentioned authors seem to indicate that the AilAd ratio for the virus of poliomyelitis is very high and resembles in this respect the virus of rabies.…”