Improved high-performance liquid chromatographic method in the analysis ofadenovirus particles

We developed a HPLC method on a novel continuous bed matrix (UNO Q, Bio-Rad ) for the direct quantification of adenoviral type 5 (Ad5) particles produc ed in 293S Human Embryonic Kidney cells and compared this with an existing HPLC method on a conventional ion-exchange resin (Resource Q, Pharmacia). T he 293S cell extract contained large amounts of DNA. This contaminated the viral peak on the Resource Q column and only after Benzonase treatment was it possible to quantify the viral particles in the cell extract. In contras t, the virus peak on the UNO Q column was resolved from the DNA which elimi nates the need for pretreatment of the sample with Benzonase. Cross-analysi s of the Ad5 fraction from the UNO Q column using a size-exclusion HPLC col umn revealed no additional contaminating peaks. We conclude that the purity of the Ad5 virus peak on the continuous bed matrix UNO Q column was superi or to the purity of the virus on the conventional Resource Q column, which is essential for reliable quantification. Published by Elsevier Science B.V .