Evaluation of three panels of monoclonal antibodies for the identification of human rotavirus VP7 serotype by ELISA.

Three panels of monoclonal antibodies used for rotavirus serotype identification by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were evaluated at the National Institutes of Health, USA, to identify antibodies suitable for distribution to laboratories involved in WHO-sponsored trials of rotavirus vaccines. Two of the panels were comparably effective in identifying the serotype of each of the human rotavirus reference strains of serotype 1, 2, or 3. In addition, one of the panels included a monoclonal antibody that was effective in identifying strains of serotype 4. However, two different lots of a third, commercially available panel were not effective in identifying the eight strains representing the four serotypes. A third shipment of this panel was therefore tested using revised instructions and, under these conditions, it was effective in serotyping seven of the eight reference strains. It appears that a battery of monoclonal antibodies for each serotype may be required to identify antigenic variants within a serotype. Additional studies are needed to assess the extent of antigenic variation in rotavirus field strains.