Heterologous flavivirus infection-enhancing antibodies in sera of Nigerians.

Human sera collected from Nigerians were examined for plaque reduction neutralizing and infection-enhancing antibodies against dengue 2, yellow fever, and West Nile viruses. Neutralization tests showed that 17 of 19 sera contained flavivirus neutralizing antibody; 11 were positive to all 3 viruses, 5 to dengue and yellow fever, and 1 to dengue virus only. Two sera had no detectable neutralizing antibody to any of the flaviviruses. Enhancement assays showed that 17 flavivirus neutralizing antibody-positive sera contained infection-enhancing antibodies to dengue 2, and 16 had antibody to yellow fever. Although 11 sera were positive for West Nile neutralizing antibody, 17 enhanced this virus. Heterologous infection-enhancing antibody titers were lower than the homologous ones. Broadly reacting sera and those with high neutralizing antibody titers produced the highest infection-enhancing antibody titers.