Plaque reduction neutralization antibody test does not accurately predict protection against dengue infection in Ratchaburi cohort, Thailand

• Published in: Virology journal Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 48
• Main Authors: Sirivichayakul, Chukiat, Sabchareon, Arunee, Limkittikul, Kriengsak, Yoksan, Sutee
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Springer-Verlag 12.03.2014; BioMed Central Ltd; BioMed Central
• Subjects: Adolescent; Antibodies, Neutralizing - blood; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Child; Cohort Studies; dengue; Dengue - immunology; Dengue fever; Dengue virus; Dengue Virus - immunology; Dengue viruses; Encephalitis; Female; Health aspects; Humans; immune response; Infections; Male; neutralization; neutralization tests; Neutralization Tests - methods; neutralizing antibodies; prediction; serotypes; Short Report; Thailand; Vaccines; Viral Plaque Assay - methods; Viruses; Thailand; ISEW, Thailand
• ISSN: 1743-422X; 1743-422X
• DOI: 10.1186/1743-422X-11-48

BACKGROUND: The plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) is currently the best and most widely accepted approach to measuring virus-neutralizing and protective antibodies to dengue virus, and in assessing the immunogenicity of a dengue vaccine. However, the correlation between presence of dengue-neutralizing antibody and protection from infection is not absolute. FINDINGS: In a cohort study in Ratchaburi Province, Thailand, 48 subjects with serologically confirmed symptomatic dengue infection were tested for pre-existing dengue neutralizing antibody using PRNT. Nine subjects had quite high pre-existing PRNT50 titers (titer >90) to subsequent infecting dengue serotypes, but still had symptomatic infections. CONCLUSION: This report provides evidence that PRNT may not be a good test for predicting protection against subsequent dengue infection.