Detection of IgG antibodies specific for measles virus by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

A solid-phase, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for determination of IgG antibodies against measles virus is described. The assay utilized antigen-coated polystyrene microplates. The antigen consisted of a sonicated extract of measles-infected Vero cells. Goat and anti-human IgG-peroxidase conjugate was used to detect human IgG bound to viral antigen. Sera taken from 63 healthy adults, 11 young children and 36 patients were evaluated for their IgG titer against measles virus. Comparison of results obtained by ELISA with those obtained by hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) assay or by complement fixation showed good agreement between the tests. The geometric mean titer (GMT) for healthy adults was 753 for ELISA and 32.8 for HI. If these averages are taken as a measure of comparison, then ELISA is approximately 23 times more sensitive than HI. ELISA technique is rapid to perform and could be recommended for routine diagnosis.