Development and evaluation of ELISA serological immunoassays for influenza and respiratory syncytial viruses.

INTRODUCTION

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza are major causes of respiratory infections globally. Although vaccines are available, serological tools to assess population-level immunity and maternal antibody transfer remain limited. This study aimed to develop and evaluate ELISA assays for detecting anti-RSV and anti-influenza antibodies as a basis for future maternal-fetal immunity research.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

In this study, we designed ELISA immunoassays using various influenza and RSV antigens. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated using sera from presumed seronegative infants and seropositive adults.

RESULTS

The influenza vaccine-based ELISA achieved 98.3 % sensitivity and 100 % specificity. The pre-fusion F protein of RSV (Arexvy®) showed 97.5 % sensitivity and 97.4 % specificity. Other antigen combinations performed less optimally.

DISCUSSION: These ELISA assays are scalable tools for seroepidemiological and maternal transfer studies. Future work will include correlation with neutralizing antibodies and paired maternal-infant analyses.