Some Cell Culture Procedures in Diagnostic Medical Virology

Moffat, Margaret A.J.

This chapter discusses the cell culture procedures as an invaluable tool in diagnostic medical virology. Culture of cells in monolayers is the most common method used in diagnostic virology laboratories. Primary or secondary cultures cells retain their diploid chromosome number, a factor which makes them particularly susceptible to certain viruses. The ideal cell system for a diagnostic virology laboratory would be a continuous line which retained its diploid chromosome number. It would be impossible in a routine laboratory to inoculate each specimen into every type of cell culture. A routine procedure is therefore employed and the specimen is inoculated into three types of cells which will support the growth of as many viruses as possible. Mixed culture technique (cocultivation) has proved of value when a viral agent is difficult to isolate from the original tissue, for example, isolation of measles from a brain biopsy. Cultures of chopped tissues have been used for many years to support the growth of viruses but the techniques were not readily applicable to diagnostic virology. A simple method of cultivating fragments of ciliated epithelium was described, which resulted in the isolation of new rhinoviruses and a new member of the corona virus group.