Comparison of Two High-Throughput Assays for Quantification of Adenovirus Type 5 Neutralizing Antibodies in a Population of Donors in China

BACKGROUND: The presence of various levels of Adenovirus serotype 5 neutralizing antibodies (Ad5NAb) is thought to contribute to the inconsistent clinical results obtained from vaccination and gene therapy studies. Currently, two platforms based on high-throughput technology are available for Ad5NAb quantification, chemiluminescence- and fluorescence-based assays. The aim of this study was to compare the results of two assays in the seroepidemiology of Ad5NAb in a local population of donors. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The fluorescence-based neutralizing antibody detection test (FRNT) using recombinant Ad5-EGFP virus and the chemiluminescence-based neutralizing antibody test (CLNT) using Ad5-Fluc were developed and standardized for detecting the presence of Ad5NAb in serum samples from the population of donors in Beijing and Anhui provinces, China. First, the overall percentage of people positive for Ad5NAb performed by CLNT was higher than that obtained by FRNT (85.4 vs 69.9%, p