LATEX AGGLUTINATION AND ADENOVIRUSES .1. DETECTION OF POLYCLONAL ANTIBODIES BY LATEX AGGLUTINATION-TEST

A latex agglutination (LA) test was developed for the detection and me asurement of polyclonal anti-adenovirus antibodies. Latex particles, c oated with purified hexon, penton or fibre antigens displayed specific agglutination with 21 rabbit immune sera directed against the differe nt antigens and the complete virus of 10 human and 2 animal adenovirus types. The sensitivity of LA was compared to that of passive haemaggl utination, complement fixation (CF) and immunodiffusion reactions. In experiments with immune sera as well as with human serum samples the s ensitivity of LA test proved to be in the same range as that of CF tes t. Because of its easy and rapid performance (slide agglutination with in 4 min) LA method may substitute for CF reaction in serological aden ovirus diagnosis.