Comparison of a commercial enzyme immunoassay with plaque reduction neutralization for maternal and infant measles antibody measurement.

The most practicable assay for measurement of measles IgG (mIgG) in large numbers of sera is an enzyme immunoassay (EIA). To assess how EIA results would agree with those by the gold standard method of plaque reduction neutralization (PRN) we compared the results from the two methods in 43 pairs of maternal and umbilical cord sera, and sera from the corresponding infants when aged 11-14 months. In maternal-cord sera, the differences between mean antibody levels by EIA or PRN were not statistically significant, though in individual sera, differences could be large.

Calibration and use of an in-house anti-measles IgG standard serum.

For the purpose of research a large quantity of anti-measles IgG working reference serum was needed. A pool of sera from five teenagers was prepared and named Alexandre Herculano (AH). In order to calibrate the AH serum, 18 EIA assays were performed testing in parallel AH and the 2nd International Standard 1990, Anti-Measles Antibody, 66/202 (IS) in a range of dilutions (from 1/50 to 1/25,600).

An evaluation of nine commercial EIA kits for the detection of measles specific IgG.

Nine commercial EIAs for measles-specific IgG were compared with haemagglutination inhibition (HI) and plaque reduction neutralization (PRN). A total of 174 sera selected, to give approximately half of the sera without measles antibody by HI, were tested by all EIAs and HI. However, there was sufficient volume of only 101 samples for testing by PRN.

A study of maternally derived measles antibody in infants born to naturally infected and vaccinated women.

Maternal, cord and infant measles antibody levels were measured and compared in a group of 411 vaccinated mothers and 240 unvaccinated mothers, and their babies, between 1983 and 1991. Maternal and cord sera were tested by haemagglutination inhibition and/or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and plaque reduction neutralization tests were also used to test infant sera. Geometric mean titres were significantly higher in the unvaccinated than in the vaccinated mothers (P < 0.

Antibodies to measles, mumps and rubella in UK children 4 years after vaccination with different MMR vaccines.

Persistence of antibodies 4 years after vaccination with measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine from three different manufacturers was compared in 475 children who received a single injection of vaccine when aged 12-18 months. Antibodies to measles and mumps were measured using a plaque reduction neutralisation assay; rubella antibodies were measured by radial haemolysis and latex agglutination. Children given MMR vaccine containing the Urabe mumps strain were less likely to be antibody negative than those given the Jeryl Lynn mumps strain (39/266, 15% vs 39/204, 19%, p = 0.