USE OF ELISA FOR IN-VITRO POTENCY TEST OF RABIES VACCINES FOR ANIMAL USE

The use of ELISA for the potency test of inactivated rabies vaccines f or animal use was evaluated. Sandwich ELISA was developed, using monoc lonal antibodies which enabled to recognize the glycoprotein (G-protei n) of rabies virus and showed a protective effect in mice. Soluble G-p rotein which displays an ELISA activity but a low immunogenicity was r emoved by gel filtration before ELISA was carried out. The ELISA titre s of the first fraction of vaccines separated by gel filtration were c orrelated with the neutralizing antibody titres of vaccinated guinea-p igs. Our results suggest that the ELISA titres of the first fraction o f vaccines separated by gel filtration reflected the protective G-prot ein contents for the in vitro potency test of rabies vaccines compared with the current in vivo test. (C) 1996 The International Association of Biological Standardization