Quantitative hemadsorption assay technique for the estimation of interferon

Claim 1

AN INTERFERON ASSAY COMPRISING THE FOLLOWING SEQUENCE AND COMBINATION OF STEPS: (A) FORMING A TISSUE CULTURE SYSTEM OF LIVING CELLS IN WHICH A HEMADSORBING VIRUS WILL GROW: (B) TREATING THE CELLS WITH DILUTIONS OF THE INTERFERON PREPARING TO BE TESTED; (C) ADDING A HEMADSORBING VIRUS; (D) MAINTAINING A PERIOD OF INCUBATION, DURING WHICH THE HEMADSORBING VIRUS GROWS IN THE PRESENCE OF THE INTERFERON GENERALLY LASTING FOR ABOUT 24 HOURS AT A TEMPERATURE OF 36 TO 39*C.; (E) ADDING A SUSPENSION OF RED BLOOD CELLS TO THE HEMADSORBING VIRUS-INFECTED TISSUE CULTURE CELLS, AND MAINTAINING THEM IN CONTACT FOR AT LEAST LONG ENOUGH TO INSURE ADEQUATE HEMADSORPTION; (F) WASHING THE CELL SHEET CONTAINING ADSORBED RED BLOOD CELLS, AFTER HEMADSORPTION HAS TAKEN PLACE, WITH A SALINE MEDIUM IN ORDER TO REMOVE ANY UNADSORBED RED BLOOD CELLS AND MINIMIZING POSSIBLE ENZYMIC ELUTION OF ADSORBED RED BLOOD CELLS FROM THE CELL SURFACE; (G) ADDING AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM TO THE ADSORBED RED BLOOD CELLS AFTER COMPLETION OF THE WASHING OPERATION FOR REMOVAL OF UNADSORBED RED BLOOD CELLS, THEREBY LIBERATING THE HEMOGLOBIN FROM THE ADSORBED RED BLOOD CELLS; (H) DECANTING THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF HEMOGLOBIN WHICH CAN BE ESTIMATED BY MEANS OF SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC TECHNIQUE ACCORDING TO STANDARD METHODS.