Effect of 2-deoxy-D-glucose on the binding of preimmune and immune sera to herpes simplex virus-infected cells as measured by quantitative immunofluorescence.

The binding of immune and preimmune rabbit sera to fixed VERO cells infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV 1) was measured by quantitative immunofluorescence. False positive binding of the preimmune serum (PS) occurred from 8 hr post infection (p.i.), while the immune serum (IS) revealed positive fluorescence starting with 4 hr p.i. The false binding of PS decreased significantly (P = 0.01) if the cells were cultured in the presence of 2-deoxy-D-glucose (DOG). Statistical analysis of data on the binding of IS to infected cells kept in the presence or absence of DOG showed that the mean values of immunofluorescence were not significantly different (P less than 0.1). Cells cultured for 8 hr p.i. in the presence of 6 mM DOG seem to be a suitable antigen for detection of the actual level of specific antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence.