Variables of the rubella hemagglutination tests employing freeze-dried erythrocytes

The variables which affect the interaction between freeze-dried one-day-old chick erythrocytes and rubella hemagglutinin prepared from rubella-infected porcine kidney cells were defined and evaluated. The sensitivity of the hemagglutination (HA) reaction is much greater at pH 6.0 to 6.2 than at pH 7.0 to 7.5 HEPES (N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2'-ethanesulfonic acid) diluent with added Ca+ or Mg2+ ion gave four- to eightfold higher HA titers than one without divalent cations. The development of agglutinated and non-agglutinated erythrocyte patterns depended much upon the concentrations of gelatin and albumin in the HEPES diluent. Gelatin especially was essential to obtain stable and clearly distinguishable patterns. Optimal conditions for the agglutination of freeze-dried erythrocytes by rubella hemagglutinin were provided when a HEPES-buffered saline at pH 6.2, containing 10(-3) M CaCl2, 0.2 per cent bovine serum albumin, and 0.0025 per cent gelatin was employed throughout as a diluent for serum, hemagglutinin, and freeze-dried erythrocyte suspension. This diluent gave maximally sensitive and reproducible results in rubella HA and hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) tests employing freeze-dried erythrocytes.