Studies on the neutralizing antibody to herpes simplex virus. III. Detection of type-specific antibody by slow-reacting complement-requiring neutralizing antibody assay.

The type-specific antibody responses in rabbits immunized with both types of herpes simplex virus (HSV), measured by complement-requiring neutralizing (CRN) and slow-reacting CRN (s-CRN) antibody assays were compared. Titers of type-specific antibody measured by s-CRN antibody assay were always markedly higher than those measured by CRN antibody assay. The s-CRN antibody assay was so sensitive that even an undetectable level of CRN antibody could be readily detected by this method. The detection of type-specific antibody by s-CRN antibody assay may be useful when attempting to analyze human HSV infection.