IDENTIFICATION OF ADENOVIRUSES IN FECES FROM PATIENTS WITH DIARRHEA AT THE HOSPITALS-FOR-SICK-CHILDREN, LONDON, 1989-1992

Faecal samples from 137 patients that had been shown to contain adenov iruses by electron microscopy were identified in a series of enzyme im munoassays (EIA) using a single monoclonal antibody (Mab) to adenoviru s 40 and four different Mabs to adenovirus 41. Adenoviruses were parti ally characterised by restriction enzyme analysis (REA) of DNA extract s using Smal. Samples were also run in a commercial EIA (Adenovirus ID EIA; Dako, Ltd.) which detects group antigen. The majority (84%) of ad enoviruses were subgenus F: adenovirus type 41, 87 (64%) and adenoviru s type 40, 28 (20.4%). Subgenus A viruses were identified in ten, (7%) patients, eight were type 31, and two type 12. The adeno IDEIA test w as sensitive and specific, detecting 127 of 131 positives and giving n o false-positive results with other enteric viruses. Use of monoclonal -based EIAs showed significant differences depending on which adeno 41 Mab was used, although the restriction patterns obtained using Smal a ppeared to be identical for 66 of 69 samples that produced recognisabl e bands. The Mab that performed best, M 4.3.1, was raised against stra ins obtained from children in England and detected 83 of 84 (99%) of t he adenovirus 41 samples tested. In contrast Mab JH/41 raised against the prototype strain of adenovirus 41 (Tak) detected only of 69 of 87 (79%). (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.