Development of an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Rapid Detection of Dengue Virus (DENV) NS1 and Differentiation of DENV Serotypes during Early Infection [Virology]

In this study, we developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of dengue virus (DENV) NS1 by pairing a serotype-cross-reactive monoclonal antibody (MAb) with one of four serotype-specific MAbs in order to facilitate the rapid detection of NS1 antigens and the simultaneous differentiation of DENV serotypes. A total of 146 serum samples obtained from patients suspected to be in the acute phase of DENV infection were used to evaluate the clinical application of our novel test for the detection and serotyping of DENV. The overall sensitivity rate of our test was 84.85%, and the sensitivity rates for serotyping were as follows: 88.2% (15/17) for DENV serotype 1 (DENV1), 94.7% (18/19) for DENV2, 75% (12/16) for DENV3, and 66.6% (6/9) for DENV4. Moreover, there was no cross-reactivity among serotypes, and no cross-reactivity was observed in sera from nondengue patients. Thus, our test not only enables the rapid detection of the dengue virus but also can distinguish among the specific serotypes during the early stages of infection. These results indicate that our ELISA for DENV NS1 is a convenient tool that may help elucidate the epidemiology of DENV outbreaks and facilitate the clinical management of DENV infections.

Source: Journal of Clinical Microbiology - June 24, 2019 Category: Microbiology Authors: Lai, S.-C., Huang, Y.-Y., Shu, P.-Y., Chang, S.-F., Hsieh, P.-S., Wey, J.-J., Tsai, M.-H., Ben, R.-J., Hsu, Y.-M., Fang, Y.-C., Hsiao, M.-L., Lin, C.-C. Tags: Virology Source Type: research