Production, characterization, and application of monoclonal antibodies specific to recombinant (E2) structural protein in antigen-capture ELISA for clinical diagnosis of Chikungunya virus.

The resurgence of Chikungunya (CHIK) virus in the form of an explosive, unprecedented epidemic with high virulence and unusual numbers of fatalities has created an immense public health concern in recent years. In the absence of an effective vaccine and specific antiviral therapy, early accurate diagnosis is essential for the best patient management. The present study describes the production and characterization of high-affinity and selective monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) against recombinant E2 protein (rE2) of the CHIK virus. The reactivity of Mabs for rE2 protein was demonstrated using ELISA. The specificity of the generated Mabs for rE2 was demonstrated by Western blot and indirect immunofluorescence. The application of this CHIK virus E2-specific monoclonal antibody in early clinical diagnosis was demonstrated by various analytical methods, such as immunoblotting, indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and antigen-capture ELISA (AC-ELISA), for the detection as well as the identification of the novel ECSA genotypes of CHIK virus. These findings suggest that the high-affinity E2-specific monoclonal antibodies reported in this study will be useful for early clinical diagnosis and epidemiological studies of CHIK virus in developing countries.