Development, characterization and application of monoclonal antibodies against Brazilian Dengue virus isolates

PLoS One. 2014 Nov 20;9(11):e110620. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110620. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Dengue is the most prevalent human arboviral disease. The morbidity related to dengue infection supports the need for an early, quick and effective diagnostic test. Brazil is a hotspot for dengue, but no serological diagnostic test has been produced using Brazilian dengue virus isolates. This study aims to improve the development of immunodiagnostic methods for dengue virus (DENV) detection through the production and characterization of 22 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against Brazilian isolates of DENV-1, -2 and -3. The mAbs include IgG2bκ, IgG2aκ and IgG1κ isotypes, and most were raised against the envelope or the pre-membrane proteins of DENV. When the antibodies were tested against the four DENV serotypes, different reactivity patterns were identified: group-specific, subcomplex specific (DENV-1, -3 and -4 and DENV-2 and -3) and dengue serotype-specific (DENV-2 or -3). Additionally, some mAbs cross-reacted with yellow fever virus (YFV), West Nile virus (WNV) and Saint Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV). None of the mAbs recognized the alphavirus Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV). Furthermore, mAbs D3 424/8G, D1 606/A12/B9 and D1 695/12C/2H were used to develop a capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for anti-dengue IgM detection in sera from patients with acute dengue. To our knowledge, these are the first monoclonal antibodies raised against Brazilian DENV isolates, and they may be of special interest in the development of diagnostic assays, as well as for basic research.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / immunology*
  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology*
  • Brazil
  • Cell Line
  • Cross Reactions
  • Dengue / diagnosis
  • Dengue / immunology*
  • Dengue / virology
  • Dengue Virus / classification
  • Dengue Virus / immunology*
  • Epitopes / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology
  • Mice

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Epitopes
  • Immunoglobulin G

Grants and funding

The authors thank CNPq, CNPq/Prosul, Fiocruz, Fundação Araucária and Fundo Paraná and CNPq/CAPES PROCAD/Casadinho for financial support. CNDS is a CNPq fellowship recipient. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.