Antigen and antibody detection and update on the diagnosis of dengue.

The diagnosis of dengue is an imperfect science. By 1983 we had sensitive isolation systems including arthropods and arthropod cell cultures, specific-and group-reactive monoclonal antibodies, and a rapid and sensitive immunoassay for IgM and IgG. Progress in the past 7 years encompasses the use of monocyte lines for primary isolation, a more rapid plaque reduction neutralization test with BHK-21 cells, labeled RNA probes to detect dengue-specific nucleic acid, and improved ELISA technology with specific synthetic and engineered antigens.