Development and evaluation of ELISA serological immunoassays for influenza and respiratory syncytial viruses

Abstract

Introduction: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza are major causes of respiratory infections globally. Although vaccines are available, serological tools to assess population-level immunity and maternal antibody transfer remain limited. This study aimed to develop and evaluate ELISA assays for detecting anti-RSV and anti-influenza antibodies as a basis for future maternal-fetal immunity research.

Materials and methods: In this study, we designed ELISA immunoassays using various influenza and RSV antigens. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated using sera from presumed seronegative infants and seropositive adults.

Results: The influenza vaccine-based ELISA achieved 98.3 % sensitivity and 100 % specificity. The pre-fusion F protein of RSV (Arexvy®) showed 97.5 % sensitivity and 97.4 % specificity. Other antigen combinations performed less optimally.

Discussion: These ELISA assays are scalable tools for seroepidemiological and maternal transfer studies. Future work will include correlation with neutralizing antibodies and paired maternal-infant analyses.

Keywords: IgG; Influenza; Neonatal; Placental; RSV; Serology; Transfer.