Evaluation of mouse thymic virus antibody detection techniques

Three serologic test methods for detection of serum antibodies to mouse thymic virus (MTV) were compared, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), complement fixation (CF) test and indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test. Serum was collected at regular intervals from CD-1 mice inoculated intraperitoneally with approximately 200 infectious doses of MTV, and from uninoculated mice placed in cages with the inoculated animals. The inoculated mice became MTV antibody-positive by all three assay methods at 15 days post inoculation, while the cage-contacts were seropositive by all methods at 30 days after contact. Although the incidence of positive results was similar by all methods, titers measured by ELISA were substantially higher than those measured by CF and IFA tests. Because MTV can cause persistent infections that adversely affect the suitability of mice for research, it is recommended that testing for antibodies to this virus be performed routinely.