Antigenic analysis of rotavirus isolates using monoclonal antibodies specific for human serotypes 1, 2, 3 and 4, and SA11.

Five neutralizing monoclonal antibodies produced against human rotavirus (HRV) serotypes 1, 2, 3 and 4 and the simian rotavirus (SA11) were used to study 59 rotavirus isolates of human, simian and feline origin previously serotyped using polyclonal antisera. In neutralization tests, 19 of 26 HRV serotype 1 isolates, both strains of HRV serotype 2, 14 of 24 HRV serotype 3 isolates and all of seven serotype 4 isolates were neutralized by the homologous serotype-specific monoclonal antibodies. Use of the panel of monoclonal antibodies revealed antigenic differences between strains within serotypes 1 and 3 and, in the case of the serotype 3 strains, each variant had a unique RNA electropherotype. An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) which utilized the monoclonal antibodies essentially confirmed the neutralization results. Preliminary results show that direct serotyping in faecal extracts by EIA using these monoclonal antibodies is specific but lacks sensitivity.