Species- and genus-specific antigens in Leptospira, revealed by monoclonal antibodies and enzyme immunoassay.

Mouse antisera to Leptospira interrogans serovar pomona or L. biflexa serovar patoc agglutinated homologous leptospires but not leptospires of serovars from any heterologous serogroup tested. When tested by enzyme immunoassay (EIA), pomona and patoc antisera reacted with all serovars tested from L. interrogans, L. biflexa or L. illini species. A non-agglutinating hybridoma-derived monoclonal antibody reacted by EIA only with serovars of the pathogenic L. interrogans species but not with L. biflexa nor L. illini. The results demonstrated the presence of both genus and species specific non-agglutinating leptospiral antigens which could be detected only by EIA.