Fractionation and Immunologic Assessment of KCl-Extracted Cardiac Antigens in Coxsackievirus B3 Virus-Induced Myocarditis

Hypertonic salt extracts prepared from the heart tissues of adolescent CD-1 mice were fractionated on Sephadex G-100 columns. Two separate fractions were obtained. Fraction I, containing the antigenic immunoreactive activity, was able to inhibit the migration of CVB3-PPD immune mouse peritoneal exudate cells (IMPEC) as well as PEC from mice infected with CVB3 virus alone. Fraction II did not have antigenic activity as assessed by the agarose droplet cell migration inhibition assay. As controls, Fraction I prepared from the livers of spleens of CVB3-infected CD-1 mice was unable to inhibit the migration of CVB3 IMPEC. Unimmunized or "normal" mouse peritoneal exudate cells (NMPEC) were not inhibited by Fraction I. Antibodies prepared against Fractions I and II were unable to neutralize CVB3m virus in the plaque reduction test, and polyacrylamide gel analysis revealed multiple bands in 10% SDS gels.