A simple and sensitive ELISA of antibodies to pertussis antigens

A precise method for quantifying serum antibody levels to antigens of Bordetella pertussis is required to evaluate pertussis vaccines, to diagnose pertussis infections, and to detect transplacentally transmitted maternal antibodies. The purpose of this paper is to report a rapid, sensitive, easy and standardized ELISA method using polystyrene balls for the assay of serum antibodies against pertussis toxin (PT) and filamentous haemagglutinin (FHA), which are protective antigens of B. pertussis. By the polystyrene ball method, a clear-cut difference was observed between values of pre- and postvaccination serum samples while by the conventional plate method those values overlapped. It was concluded that the PS ball method is one of the most sensitive and simple methods for detecting antibodies against PT and FHA.