ENZYME-LINKED-IMMUNOSORBENT-ASSAY FOR DETECTION OF ANTIBODY TO HUMAN-HERPESVIRUS-6

The results obtained with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) immunoglobulin G using a single 1:100 dilution of serum correlated well with those found by an indirect fluorescence microscopic assay (IFA) (r = 0.71), Concordant results were found in all 7 paired serum samples obtained from patient s with acute primary infections and in 37 of 41 (90.24%) single serum samples. Fourteen serum samples (25%) which yielded nonspecific result s by IFA were evaluable by ELISA. In a serologic survey using the ELIS A, a disproportionate number of 12-month-old infants had low differenc e-of-optical-density values, suggesting that maternal antibody might p ersist beyond a year of age, This finding and the rises in antibody to HHV-6 found in patients with primary cytomegalovirus infections might lead to overestimation of HHV-6 infection rates in young children in seroprevalence studies. Other herpesvirus infections produced lesser e ffects on anti-HHV-6.