Hopkins, Ralph F. III2025-02-052025-02-051982-08http://hdl.handle.net/11603/37611Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is described for the detection of antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated proteins including viral capsid antigen (VCA), early antigen (EA), and nuclear antigen (EBNA). The specificity of the three ELISA systems was demonstrated by the use of 43 well-characterized human sera shown by immunofluorescence (IF) to be variously reactive for antibodies to the viral antigens. Of the cell lines tested as sources of ELISA antigen, the productively EBV-infected cell line, B95-8 was selected as the source of VCA and EA while the EBV-genome positive non-virus producer cell line, B1-19 was chosen as a source of EBNA. Nine sera which were negative for antibodies to VCA, EA, and EBNA by IF were also negative by ELISA. Approximately 50% of the positive antisera tested gave higher anti-VCA and anti-EA titers by ELISA than by IF. The EBNA ELISA test was also more sensitive than IF with all 33 EBNA positive sera. The antibody titers obtained for either VCA, EA, or EBNA when measured by IF and ELISA showed a high degree of correlation whereas no correlation was observed between the antibody being detected in the VCA and EA ELISAs. The antibody titers obtained in each of the ELISAs were reproducible within one two-fold dilution between repeated experiments. These ELISAs for EBV-associated antigens are specific, sensitive, rapid, and objective and thus provide a valuable method for detection of antibodies to these antigens.75 pagesen-USText