Article: Interferon studies with Japanese and U.S. rubella virus strains

Japanese strains of rubella virus have been claimed not to be teratogenic, and tests on three Japanese strains showed that they induced high levels of interferon in human placental cell cultures obtained from conceptuses ranging from 13 to 24 weeks' gestational age, whereas two strains derived from the U.S.A. induced low levels. Both Japanese and U.S. strains induced similar but low levels in fetal lung cell cultures and leucocyte preparations. A representative Japanese strain and a U.S. strain were both interferon-sensitive. If indeed a strain can be shown to be non-teratogenic it could lead to an alternative, safer rubella vaccine.

Citing Articles

Role of Inflammation in Virus Pathogenesis during Pregnancy.

Chudnovets A, Liu J, Narasimhan H, Liu Y, Burd I J Virol. 2020; 95(2).

PMID: 33115865 PMC: 7944452. DOI: 10.1128/JVI.01381-19.

Rubella Virus Strain-Associated Differences in the Induction of Oxidative Stress Are Independent of Their Interferon Activation.

Zobel S, Lorenz M, Frascaroli G, Bohnke J, Bilz N, Stanifer M Viruses. 2018; 10(10).

PMID: 30282907 PMC: 6213305. DOI: 10.3390/v10100540.

New Japanese rubella vaccine: comparative trials.

Best J, Banatvala J, Bowen J Br Med J. 1974; 3(5925):221-4.

PMID: 4602899 PMC: 1611996. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.3.5925.221.

Role of rubella in congenital malformations in India.

Chaturvedi U, Tripathi B, Mathur A, Singh U, MEHROTRA R J Hyg (Lond). 1976; 76(1):33-40.

PMID: 1060694 PMC: 2129602. DOI: 10.1017/s0022172400054917.

HLA antigens and responses to rubella vaccination.

Harcourt G, Best J, Banatvala J, Kennedy L J Hyg (Lond). 1979; 83(3):405-12.

PMID: 512353 PMC: 2130160. DOI: 10.1017/s0022172400026231.

References

1.

Cooper L, Krugman S . Diagnosis and management: congenital rubella. Pediatrics. 1966; 37(2):335-8. View

2.

Strander H, Cantell K . Production of interferon by human leukocytes in vitro. Ann Med Exp Biol Fenn. 1966; 44(2):265-73. View

3.

SMORODINTSEV A . The production and effect of interferon in organ cultures of calf trachea. Br J Exp Pathol. 1968; 49(5):511-5. PMC: 2093897. View

4.

Kono R, Hayakawa Y, Hibi M, Ishii K . Experimental vertical transmission of rubella virus in rabbits. Lancet. 1969; 1(7590):343-7. DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)91301-4. View

5.

Banatvala J, Best J . Cross-serological testing of rubella-virus strains. Lancet. 1969; 1(7597):695-7. DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)92647-6. View

6.

Lee S . Interferon production by human leukocytes in vitro: some biological characteristics. Appl Microbiol. 1969; 18(5):731-5. PMC: 378080. DOI: 10.1128/am.18.5.731-735.1969. View

7.

Phillips C, MAECK J, Rogers W, Savel H . Intrauterine rubella infection following immunization with rubella vaccine. JAMA. 1970; 213(4):624-5. View

8.

Best J, Banatvala J . Studies on rubella virus strain variation by kinetic haemagglutination-inhibition tests. J Gen Virol. 1970; 9(3):215-23. DOI: 10.1099/0022-1317-9-3-215. View

9.

Larson H, PARKMAN P, Davis W, HOPPS H, MEYER Jr H . Inadvertent rubella virus vaccination during pregnancy. N Engl J Med. 1971; 284(15):870-3. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM197104222841602. View

10.

. A system at fault. Lancet. 1972; 1(7748):481. View

11.

Banatvala J, Potter J, Best J . Interferon response to sendai and rubella viruses in human foetal cultures, leucocytes and placental cultures. J Gen Virol. 1971; 13(2):193-201. DOI: 10.1099/0022-1317-13-2-193. View

12.

Vaheri A, Vesikari T, OKER-BLOM N, Seppala M, PARKMAN P, Veronelli J . Isolation of attenuated rubella-vaccine virus from human products of conception and uterine cervix. N Engl J Med. 1972; 286(20):1071-4. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM197205182862002. View

13.

Mair H, Buchan A . Rubella vaccination and termination of pregnancy. Br Med J. 1972; 4(5835):271-3. PMC: 1788787. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.4.5835.271. View

Interferon Studies with Japanese and U.S. Rubella Virus Strains