Diagnosis of human caliciviruses by use of enzyme immunoassays

The application of molecular technologies, such as the expression of viral proteins in baculovirus, has provided a powerful approach to the diagnosis of human calicivirus (HuCV) infections, The baculovirus-expressed HuCV caps id protein self-assembles into virus-like particles, providing excellent re agents for immunologic assays, such as enzyme immunoassays (EIAs), Followin g the expression of the capsid protein of Norwalk virus, the capsid protein s of 8 other HuCV strains have been expressed in baculovirus. The unlimited supply of baculovirus-produced reagents for HuCVs allows these EIAs to be applied in large-scale clinical and epidemiological studies. Both the antig en and antibody-detection EIAs are highly sensitive. The antigen-detection EIAs are highly specific, but the antibody-detection EIAs are more broadly reactive. This article reviews baculovirus expression techniques used to pr oduce HuCV capsid antigens, development of EIAs using these antigens, and a pplication of these EIAs in studies of HuCV infection and illness.