Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of antibodies to pneumonia virus of mice in rat sera.

An enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was established to detect rat serum antibodies to pneumonia virus of mice (PVM). Vero cells infected with the virus were absorbed to the surface of microplates, and the presence of antibodies in the sample evaluated were demonstrated by the subsequent use of goat anti-rat immune globulin G conjugated to peroxidase and by specific substrate. The results indicated that antibodies against pneumonia virus of mice could be detected in rat serum with the ELISA procedure. The results were reproducible, and the method was approximately eight times more sensitive than the hemagglutination inhibition procedure.