Antigen detection with monoclonal antibodies for the diagnosis of adenovirus gastroenteritis.

A monoclonal antibody-based enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was developed for direct detection of enteric adenoviruses in stool specimens from individuals with gastroenteritis. Tests specific for each of the enteric adenoviruses, adenovirus type 40 (Ad 40) and type 41 (Ad 41), were designed. The sensitivity of the assay was determined by comparing the results of the EIA with isolation of virus in Graham 293 cells from stools that contained particles having adenovirus morphology. The standard for specificity was analysis of adenovirus genome profiles after digestion with SmaI endonuclease. The sensitivity was 95.8% (23 of 24) for Ad 40 and 97.1% (34 of 35) for Ad 41. The specificity was 95.7% (45 of 47) and 97.2% (35 of 36), respectively. The two type-specific monoclonal antibodies could be mixed in an EIA for identification of enteric adenoviruses in stools without loss of reactivity in either type. The EIA permits rapid diagnosis and type-specific identification of enteric adenoviruses in gastroenteritis.