STUDIES ON THE PROPAGATION IN VITRO OF POLIOVIRUSES IX. APPLICATION OF HELA CELL CULTURES TO STUDY OP THE DISTRIBUTION OF POLIOVTRUS ANTIBODY NATURALLY PRESENT IN A POPULATION OR INDUCED BY ADMINISTRATION OF FORMALINIZED VACCINES> BY

The concept of the mechanism for pre-venting paralysis from poliomyelitis by the use of fonnalinized virus vaccines has been discussed by Salk (1). The presence of antibody induced by vacci-nation is thought to prevent the spread of infectious virus by the blood stream from the peripheral portals of entry to the central nervous system (2). The antibody response produced in man by vaccination with formalinized virus sus-pensions appears to follow the pattern demonstrated with toxoids and some other antigens, a sensitizing and booster mechanism producing high levels of demonstrable antibody. Although the length of time that immunity will con-tinue after inoculation is not yet known, the power to respond well to a booster injection seems to last for at least 2 years. Procedures have been described (3, 4) for use of the HeLa cell-culture system as a simplified tool for epidemiologic stud-ies. This communication reports such use of HeLa cells for evaluation of anti-