Haemagglutination antigen from Toxoplasma gondii grown in tissue culture
Kumar, P.S.; Mohapatra, L.N.; Balaya, S.; Kumar, R.
Indian Journal of Medical Research 66(5): 756-764
1977
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-5340 PMID: 608743 Document Number: 115512
A pure suspension of Toxoplasma for the preparation of hemagglutination antigen could be obtained by cultivating T. gondii in a tissue culture system. As many as 1 .times. 107 organisms/ml. could be obtained in Vero cells 4 days after inoculation of cultures, when grown under optimal conditions. Inoculation of young cultures with washed toxoplasmas harvested from mice infected 3 or 4 days earlier gave better yield as compared to unwashed toxoplasmas harvested 7 days after infection of mice. Growth of T. gondii was inhibited when the bovine calf serum used in the tissue culture maintenance medium had antitoxoplasma hemagglutinating antibodies. Fetal calf serum gave maximum yield as compared to human (cord or adult) and bovine sera. The T. gondii yield was good when maintenance medium was changed daily. Tissue culture antigen seemed to be as specific as host cell free Toxoplasma antigen and detected 3-6 fold higher titer in some positive sera. It was more stable than exudate antigen when stored at 4.degree. C and could be prepared in bulk with less cost and labor.