Microfluorometric analysis of anti-complement and indirect immunofluorescence tests for human papovavirus (JCV and...

The anti-complement immunofluorescence (ACIF) test was compared with the conventionally used indirect IF (IIF) in regard to its usefulness for the detection of low amounts of human papovavirus tumor (T) antigen. Fluorescence microscopic analysis revealed that it is significantly more sensitive. Microfluorometric measurements on the intensity of staining of T-antigen-positive nuclei demonstrated that JCV T in HJC-15 cells was 35-fold and BKV T in BK-L3 cells 94-fold more intensively stained in the ACIF then in the IIF. It appears that the lower the actual amount of a given antigen the more valuable is the ACIF test.