Webster R G, Laver W G
Bull World Health Organ. 1972;47(4):449-52.
Serological tests, using antisera specific to the surface subunits of the viruses (e.g., antisera to the haemagglutinin subunits devoid of any antineuraminidase or anti-host antigen activity) showed that the haemagglutinin subunits of the Hong Kong virus were, immunologically, distinct from the subunits of the preceding A/Asian strains. On the other hand, the neuraminidase subunits of the Hong Kong virus are related to those of the A/Asian strains. The haemagglutinin subunits of influenzaviruses are composed of two pairs of light and heavy polypeptide chains and it was found that the amino acid sequence of the light and heavy chains from the haemagglutinin subunits of the Hong Kong virus differed remarkably from those of the preceding A/Asian strains. These findings suggest that Hong Kong virus did not arise by mutation from a pre-existing human strain and that it probably arose by the selection of a genetic recombinant in a partially immune population. It is postulated that the recombinant was formed as the result of the mixed infection of an animal or bird with an animal or avian influenzavirus and a human A/Asian strain. The animal (or avian) virus could have donated the haemagglutinin subunits of A/Hong Kong/1/68 virus and the neuraminidase subunits could have come from the human A/Asian strain.
血清学检测使用针对病毒表面亚基的抗血清（例如，针对不含任何神经氨酸酶或抗宿主抗原活性的血凝素亚基的抗血清），结果表明，香港病毒的血凝素亚基在免疫学上与之前的亚洲甲型毒株的亚基不同。另一方面，香港病毒的神经氨酸酶亚基与亚洲甲型毒株的神经氨酸酶亚基相关。流感病毒的血凝素亚基由两对轻链和重链多肽链组成，并且发现香港病毒血凝素亚基的轻链和重链的氨基酸序列与之前的亚洲甲型毒株的序列有显著差异。这些发现表明，香港病毒并非由先前存在的人类毒株通过突变产生，它可能是在部分免疫人群中通过选择基因重组体而产生的。据推测，重组体是动物或禽类感染动物或禽源流感病毒与人类亚洲甲型毒株混合感染的结果。动物（或禽类）病毒可能提供了A/香港/1/68病毒的血凝素亚基，而神经氨酸酶亚基可能来自人类亚洲甲型毒株。
