Determination of antibodies to non-structural and structural adenovirus antigens by ELISA.

We evaluated possibilities to analyze serum antibodies to non-structural (peptides derived from adenovirus E1b protein) and structural (hexon) adenovirus antigens by ELISA. Synthetic dodecapeptides covering a putative A-gliadin cross-reactive antigenic determinant of the E1b protein were used. The aminoterminus of the peptides appeared to be important for antibody binding but the exact sequence of a possible common B-cell epitope within the peptides remained open. Coupling of the peptides to a carrier protein was essential for ELISA analyses of serum antipeptide antibodies. IgA antibodies to both adenovirus derived E1b peptides and hexon antigen could be detected already two weeks after the onset of an acute adenovirus infection, while antipeptide IgG antibodies were seen in a restricted number of patients only.