Laboratory procedures in adenoviruses. XII. Comparison of five ELISA methods for demonstration of hexon antigen

To demonstrate adenovirus hexon, four different arrangements of a four-layer ELISA, to be performed with commercially available reagents, were compared with a three-layer ELISA. After evaluation of specific and control reagents and their dilutions, the guinea pig/rabbit or the rabbit/chicken method were equally practicable and sensitive as the three-layer method with rabbit serum and superior to two other methods. By testing about 100 stool samples and 74 throat swabs containing adenoviruses, it turned out that the sensitivity (1 ng/ml hexon) appears satisfactory for stool specimens in adenovirus enteritis of infants, but is much less sensitive than isolation in cell culture for adenoviruses in throat swabs. As confirmatory test, specimen were incubated with an adenovirus rabbit antiserum or normal serum and then tested.