USE OF MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY BLENDS IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF ENTEROVIRAL ASEPTIC-MENINGITIS

Monoclonal antibody pools directed against group B coxsackievirus and echovirus antigens (Chemicon, Temecula, California) were evaluated as tools in the identification of enteroviral aseptic meningitis. Cerebro spinal fluid (CSF) and serial dilutions of stock coxsackievirus were i noculated into tube and shell vial Rhesus monkey kidney (RhMk) cell cu ltures. Positive cellular fluorescence was observed only in conjunctio n with cytopathic effect (CPE). The time from inoculation to CPE was s imilar with both tube and shell vial cultures. Direct CSF testing fail ed to reliably identify positive specimens as fluorescent debris, and a lack of available cells hindered results. Viral components of each a ntibody blend demonstrated positive cellular fluorescence when appropr iately stained. False-positive fluorescence was not observed when cell s, infected with other CSF viruses, were stained with these reagents. The findings suggest a role for these reagents (available both as blen ds and type-specific reagents) in the culture confirmation and identif ication of many common enteroviral serotypes associated with aseptic m eningitis.