Detection of antibodies to HCV E1E2 by lectin-capture ELISA

Abstract

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) enable rapid detection and quantitation of antibodies in samples. Such assays can be highly sensitive and can be performed in most laboratories with basic equipment. Although detecting binding antibodies to the surface proteins of most pathogens by ELISA is not always indicative of antibody function, i.e., neutralizing activity of antibodies, the results can be used as a first step toward more in-depth analysis of antibody responses. Here we describe a method that can be used to standardize ELISAs for the detection of HCV envelope antibodies across laboratories and provide adaptations of the method to further characterize antibody responses in serum samples.