Abstract
Discussion and summary
A tissue culture cell line of rabbit cornea (SIRC) has been discovered by Leerhoy(1) to show clear and readily detectable CPE when inoculated with rubella virus. This observation has been confirmed and extended. The SIRC cells have been shown to be as effective for primary isolation of rubella virus from throat swabs, rectal swabs, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and lens tissue as the more widely used GMK cells. As previously noted for both GMK and primary human amnion cells(9), subcultivations are necessary with SIRC cells for maximum isolation of rubella virus. SIRC cells may be used for detecting rubella neutralizing antibody in human sera and titers obtained are comparable to those obtained in GMK. Serial passage of rubella virus in SIRC cells appears to yield higher virus titers than those obtained after serial passage in GMK.
SIRC cells offer several advantages. They are a continuous cell line easily maintained in the laboratory. They produce direct CPE, eliminating the need for challenge of cultures with a second virus, and they reduce the time necessary to obtain test results. They should prove useful in rubella virus diagnosis and investigation.
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