Characterization and potential diagnostic application of monoclonal antibodies specific to rabies virus☆

OBJECTIVE Rabies is invariably a fatal encephalomyelitis that is considered to be a serious public health problem. It is necessary to develop standard rabies virus diagnostic tools, especially for diagnosing the strains prevalent in China. METHODS Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific to rabies virus were produced and characterized by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), isotyping, affinity assay, immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and immunocytochemistry. The MAb, whose affinity was higher for antigen, was used to establish an antigen capture-ELISA (AC-ELISA) detection system and test the efficiency by using clinical samples. RESULTS The heavy chain subclasses of two MAbs were all determined to be IgG2a. The 3C7 MAb showed stronger reactivity with rabies virus protein than the 2C5 MAb in an ELISA analysis, whereas the 3C7 MAb showed the highest affinity for antigen. IFA and immunocytochemistry results also indicated that the two MAbs could recognize rabies virus protein in its native form in cell samples. Data obtained using clinical samples showed that rabies virus could be detected by AC-ELISA detection system using the 3C7 MAb. CONCLUSION It was potentially useful for the further development of highly sensitive, easily handled, and relatively rapid detection kits/tools for rabies surveillance in those areas where rabies is endemic, especially in China.