title: Serological diagnosis of influenza B virus infection: comparison of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the hemagglutination inhibition test.
abstract: The sensitivity of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibody to influenza B virus was compared with that of the hemagglutination inhibition test on acute- and convalescence-phase sera obtained from adults and children infected with influenza B virus. Two whole virus, tissue culture-grown antigen preparations were used in the ELISA, influenza B/West Virginia/81 and influenza B/Hong Kong/72. Four antigens were used in the hemagglutination inhibition test. These included the tissue culture-grown whole virus antigens that were used in the ELISA. In addition the standard egg-grown antigens, influenza B/Singapore/79 and influenza B/Hong Kong/72, were included for comparison. The ELISA antibody titer was significantly correlated to the hemagglutination inhibition antibody titer, and 10 of 10 adults and 17 of 21 children infected with influenza B had fourfold antibody increases as detected by ELISA with either antigenic type of tissue culture-grown whole virus. Increases in geometric mean antibody titers of 16- to 71-fold were detected by ELISA. Increases in geometric mean antibody titers of 3- to 10-fold were detected by hemagglutination inhibition depending on the type of antigen utilized. We found that ELISA with whole virus antigens was a sensitive and specific test for the detection of antibody to influenza B virus.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral