Sensitivity of a radioimmunoassay method for detection of certain viral antibodies in sera and cerebrospinal fluids

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
An indirect solid-phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) was applied to titration of serum and CSF antibodies aginast a variety of viruses including rubella, mumps, measles, herpes simplex, varicella-zoster and vaccinia. The test used fixed virus-infected cells as a source of antigen, and conditions for optimal production of viral antigen were determined for each virus-host cell system. In acute uncomplicated viral infections, sera taken 2-5 days after onset generally had low homotypic RIA titers from < 1:100 to 1:500; convalescent-phase titers ranged from 1:128,000 to 1:512,000. Rubella and measles antibody titers as high as 1:256,000 were demonstrated by RIA in CSF from patients with chronic panencephalitis; homologous antibody titers of 1:4000 were detected in CSF from acute mumps, herpes simplex and varicella-zoster virus infections with CNS involvement. Some heterotypic antibody was demonstrable by RIA in CSF, but, with the exception of herpes simplex antibody in a mumps virus infection, titers were markedly lower than those to the infecting virus type. RIA generally demonstrated titers at least 1000 times higher than those obtained by conventional assays such as complement fixation, hemagglutination inhibition, neutralization and immunofluorescent staining.