Chemiluminescent immunoenzymatic assay for rapid diagnosis of viral infections.

Current methods of viral diagnosis have been criticized for slowness and insensitivity. However, immunoassay may provide the desired increase in the speed of diagnosis without sacrificing accuracy. This report describes the efficacy of the detection of viral antigen by means of an absorptiometric enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) or by a chemiluminescent enzyme-linked immunoassay (CELISA). Human cytomegalovirus was detected in clinical specimens or culture fluid with comparable sensitivity by CELISA and by viral isolation but with 50 times lesser sensitivity by ELISA. Similarly, herpes simplex virus was detected in clinical specimens with markedly greater sensitivity by CELISA than by ELISA. These findings indicate that the detection of appropriate viruses by CELISA may be a practical alternative to their isolation in cell culture.