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Updated: May 13, 2026

A Simple Flow Cytometry Based Assay to Determine In Vitro Antibody Dependent Enhancement of Dengue Virus Using Zika Virus Convalescent Serum
Published on: April 10, 2018
[Standarization of the plaque-reduction neutralization technique in Vero cells for dengue virus testing]
Mayling Alvarez Vera1, Annabel González Rodríguez, Danay Díaz Morejón
1Departamento de Virología, Centro Colaborador de la OMS/OPS, Instituto de Medicina Tropical Pedro Kouri, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba. mayling@ipk.sld.cu
Introduction:
the standard plaque reduction neutralization technique has been performed in BHK-21 cells for more than 20 years in Cuba to determine the neutralizing antibodies to dengue. At the end of 2007, the WHO implemented a program to harmonize this technique at all the laboratories worldwide.
Objectives:
the present study was aimed at standardizing the plaque-reduction neutralization technique in Vero cells from the Cultural Lab of"Pedro Kouri" Tropical Medicine Institute.
Methods:
viral strains suggested by Who, strains from the Strain Bank of Arbovirus Laboratory, as well as the panel of human sera from dengue-suspected patients after 5 days of the symptoms.
Results:
it was proved that suspension- cultured Vero cells allow higher plaque capacity and quality. Similar results were reached using Arbovirus Bank strains and WHO reference strains.
Conclusions:
it was possible to standardize the plaque-reduction neutralization in Vero cells, with results similar to those of BHK-21 but in longer length of time. Standardization of this technique will allow comparing the outcome of neutralization in the epidemiological studies and vaccine research with those of other laboratories worldwide.

