Monoclonal antibodies to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus react with pathogenic arenaviruses

Abstract

Certain arenaviruses have become widely recognized as important human pathogens^1–3, the most notable among these being Lassa virus, the causative agent of Lassa fever⁴. Two other members of the group, Junin and Machupo virus, are the aetiological agents of Argentine and Bolivian haemorrhagic fevers, respectively². All these agents share both morphological features and to varying degrees serological cross-reactivity with other non-pathogenic arenaviruses^3,5,6. Despite the evident clinical importance of these viruses, work to define their physiochemical structure and to develop rapid and precise diagnostic techniques has been slow. Consequently, the definitive relationships among West African Lassa strains, strains of a related agent from Mozambique and of an Old World arenavirus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM), have not been established. This problem is of more than simple taxonomic importance in view of the fact that a Mozambique virus strain produced subclinical infection in experimental monkeys which were then resistant to challenge with monkey and human virulent Lassa virus from Sierra Leone⁷. We have explored the use of monoclonal hybridoma antibodies generated against relatively less hazardous arenaviruses to define antigens cross-reactive with the important human pathogens of the group. Here we describe the use of monoclonal antibodies directed against LCM virus to define antigenic specificities shared among LCM, Lassa and Mozambique viruses.