A refined complement-enhanced neutralization test for detecting antibodies to Junin virus

• Published in: Journal of virological methods Vol. 29; no. 1; p. 71
• Main Authors: Barrera Oro, J G, McKee, Jr, K T, Spisso, J, Mahlandt, B G, Maiztegui, J I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands 01-07-1990
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Antibodies, Viral - immunology; Arenaviruses, New World - immunology; Hemorrhagic Fever, American - diagnosis; Hemorrhagic Fever, American - immunology; Humans; Neutralization Tests - methods; Vero Cells; Viral Vaccines - administration & dosage
• ISSN: 0166-0934
• DOI: 10.1016/0166-0934(90)90009-5

A refined, complement-enhanced, plaque-reduction neutralization test was developed for measuring neutralizing antibodies against Junin (Argentine hemorrhagic fever) virus. The assay measured neutralizing antibodies after natural as well as vaccine-induced Junin virus infections. Among vaccinated individuals, titers were 2-4-fold higher than those obtained with conventional assays, without loss of specificity. Enhanced sensitivity was achieved by using a standardized complement source (vs human or animal serum) for virus dilution, incubation of virus-serum mixtures at 36 degrees C for 2 h (vs overnight at 4 degrees C) prior to plaque assay, control of age and density of cell monolayers, and variation in overlay conditions.