Monoclonal antibody for the diagnosis of lymphogranuloma venereum: a preliminary report.

Diagnosis of lymphogranuloma venereum is impeded by difficulty in culturing the causative agent and by serological cross-reactivity between the causative serotypes L1, L2, L3 and other serotypes of Chlamydia trachomatis. Monoclonal antibodies were raised against L1 and L3 serotypes. Smears of 25 patients were tested with these type-specific antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence, of which 17 were found to be positive for L1 monoclonal antibody (Clone D12.1) and four were positive for L3 serotype (Clone B3.6.3). Smears prepared simultaneously and stained with Giemsa were negative in all these cases. This monoclonal antibody may prove to be useful in the diagnosis of lymphogranuloma venereum.