ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY (ELISA) IN ASSESSING ANTI-VENOM POTENCY

R. D. G. Theakston and H. A. Reid. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in assessing antivenom potency. Toxicon 17, 511-515, 1979.-Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been investigated as a screen of antivenom potency. One batch from each of three commercial sources and from two rabbit research antivenoms were established as the five group reference antivenoms and the median effective doses (ed50s) for neutralising four venoms medically important in Africa were estimated in mice. Reference curves were prepared relating ed50s to optical densities with ELISA. The ed50s of 38 different batches of test antivenom were estimated by ELISA, and ELISA ed50s were then compared with in vivo mouse ed50s. Excellent correlation was obtained. The method is rapid, cheap, simple, economic in amounts of venom used, and most importantly, greatly reduces the need for live animals. If validated in an extended range of venoms and antivenoms, ELISA screening of antivenom potency should be a useful standard procedure. © 1979.