Latex test for serodiagnosis of infectious mononucleosis

A glycoprotein was isolated from bovine erythrocytes which has 20% carbohydrate and migrates on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as a single band. This glycoprotein carries the reactivity of bovine erythrocytes with Paul-Bunnell heterophile antibody of infectious mononucleosis. This bovine glycoprotein was coupled to carboxyl-modified latex particles with water-soluble carbodiimide. The resulting reagent was then used to develop a new test for the detection of infectious mononucleosis antibody. The bovine erythrocyte glycoprotein-latex reagent is more stable than sheep or horse erythrocytes, the traditional reagents for detection of infectious mononucleosis antibody. This new reagent is used in a direct slide test; no preabsorption of the sera is necessary. In the present study the glycoprotein-latex reagent compared favorably in terms of sensitivity and specificity with two standard tests for infectious mononucleosis antibody. Ninety-nine serum samples were tested. Agreement of the latex test with a stabilized horse erythrocyte spot test was 90%. Ten samples were weakly positive with the latex test and negative with the horse cell test. Only one of these was also positive with an enzyme-treated sheep cell test. This latter test was somewhate more sensitive than the latex test.