Study of anti-dengue NS1 antibody by western blot.

The presence of anti-nonstructural protein (NS1) antibody in natural dengue infections has been suspected to be associated with development of dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF). The Western blot technique was used to study the dynamics of the immune response to NS1 and to determine the frequency of anti-NS1 antibody among confirmed dengue patients in Indonesia, where DHF is common, and in Puerto Rico, where DHF is less frequently observed. Anti-NS1 antibody was rarely found in those with primary infections in either group. The antibody occurred at a significantly higher frequency in acute-phase serum samples from secondary infections in Indonesia than in those from Puerto Rico. No difference was observed, however, in Indonesian patients with secondary infection who had dengue fever or DHF.