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A rabies agglutination test (RAT) for rabies antibody detection
P Perrin1, P Versmisse, P Sureau
1Unité de la Rage, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
Journal of Biological Standardization
|October 1, 1988
Summary
A new rabies agglutination test (RAT) detects rabies antibodies in humans. This simple test accurately identifies seroconversion after vaccination, showing high concordance with traditional methods.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Diagnostic Assays
Background:
- Rabies remains a significant global health concern, necessitating reliable methods for assessing vaccine-induced immunity.
- Current methods for detecting rabies antibodies, such as virus neutralization antibody (VNAb) assays, can be complex and time-consuming.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a novel, rapid agglutination test for detecting rabies antibodies in human serum following vaccination.
- To assess the diagnostic accuracy and concordance of the developed rabies agglutination test (RAT) with established VNAb techniques.
Main Methods:
- Development of a rabies agglutination test (RAT) using polystyrene beads sensitized with inactivated rabies virus and bovine serum albumin.
- Serum samples were tested on a glass slide by mixing with sensitized beads and observing for agglutination.
- Comparison of RAT results with virus neutralization antibody (VNAb) titres, using 2.5 international units per ml (IU/ml) as a cutoff.
Main Results:
- The rabies agglutination test (RAT) demonstrated visible agglutination with human sera positive for rabies antibodies, as confirmed by VNAb.
- No agglutination was observed with negative sera or with positive sera using control beads.
- A high concordance of approximately 97% was achieved between RAT results and VNAb titres when using a 2.5 IU/ml cutoff.
Conclusions:
- The developed rabies agglutination test (RAT) is a simple, rapid, and accurate method for detecting rabies antibodies in human serum.
- The RAT shows significant potential for clinical use in monitoring seroconversion and assessing immune response after rabies vaccination or post-exposure treatment.