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Title: ISOLATION AND GROWTH OF CHLAMYDIAE IN CELL CULTURE

Author
item SHARMA, MANDEEP - VET.COLL.,PALAMPUR, INDIA
item ANDERSEN, ARTHUR

Submitted to: Indian Journal of Animal Sciences
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/19/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The preferred method to diagnose chlamydiosis in mammals or birds is isolation of the organism. Cell cultures provide rapid growth where the organism can be easily identified. The goal was to find a cell culture line that would permit growth for the largest number of chlamydial strains. Three cell lines were tested for their ability to support growth of 14 selected chlamydial strains and for isolation from swabs and tissue sample of experimentally infected pigs. The Vero cell line supported growth of the largest number of strains. Only one chlamydial strain (Z strain from bovine pneumonia) failed to grow in any of the three tested cell lines. The results show that the Vero cell line can be used for isolation of most known chlamydial strains.

Technical Abstract: Cell cultures are the preferred method to isolate and grow chlamydia as they provide rapid growth of most strains, and identification of the organism is readily done by direct staining. The goal of this study was to find a cell line with the ability to grow most known chlamydial strains. Three cell lines (Vero, McCoy, and L929) were selected as they are easy to culture and are widely available. They were tested for their ability to grow 14 mammalian and avian strains and for isolation of chlamydia from swabs and tissue samples of experimentally infected pigs. Chlamydia was isolated using the Vero cells from 17 of the 20 experimental samples compared to 14 and 12 with the McCoy and L929 cells, respectively. All three cell lines supported the growth of all the strains with the exception of the bovine Z strain which failed to grow in any of the three cell lines. Titers were generally higher in the Vero cells. The results show that Vero cells are a good cell line for growth of most known chlamydial strains.