Potency of wild-type or sabin trivalent inactivated poliovirus vaccine, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using monoclonal antibiotics specific for each antigenic site.

Potency testing of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) is hampered by the absence of a standardized in vitro test, as well as the lack of a generally accepted quantitative animal test. In vitro tests must be able to measure selectively the content of the "D" antigen in the vaccine which includes virus neutralizing antibodies. We tested 12 poliovirus type 1, 12 type 2 and six type 3, D antigen-specific monoclonal mouse antibodies (mAb) for use in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We characterized the site-specific reactivities of three mAbs, one for each poliovirus type. The reactivity of the complete mAb panel encompassed the important antigenic sites on the virus surface of each of the poliovirus serotypes. Some of the mAbs were cross-reactive between wild-type and Sabin strain IPV. At least one mAb of each poliovirus type that was D antigen-specific and reacted with both wild-type and Sabin IPV was directed against an antigenic site thought to be immunogenic in humans. These reagents may be useful for improved standardization of the ELISA for IPV.