Serum IgA, IgG, and IgM responses to different enteroviruses as measured by a coxsackie B5-based indirect ELISA

An enterovirus-specific indirect ELISA, based on a single local isolate of coxsackie B5 as antigen, was used to study the IgA, IgG, and IgM responses in 19 patients with a recent or current enterovirus infection. Twelve different enterovirus serotypes were isolated from 15 patients. Paired serum samples were available from 10 and a single serum from 5 of these 15 patients. In addition, 4 patients diagnosed by a significant titer rise of complement fixing antibodies to enterovirus were included. A serological diagnosis, defined as an increase in titer of enterovirus IgG and/or presence of enterovirus IgM, were established in all 14 patients with paired sera. Enterovirus IgM was present in either a single serum or in both sera in 13 of them. Out of 5 patients with a single serum sample only, enterovirus IgA or enterovirus IgM was found in 4. Specific IgA was present in either a single serum or in both sera in 14 of the 19 patients. Seven of the 10 enterovirus isolate patients with paired sera had a significant titer rise of complement fixing antibodies; however, all 10 were diagnosed by ELISA. Among 64 healthy controls 2 had enterovirus IgA and none had enterovirus IgM. In conclusion, the use of a single antigen-based ELISA was found to be reliable for the diagnosis of recent and current enterovirus infections.