Kinetics study of immunological response to Clostridium botulinum toxin.

A double-antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of humoral antibody to type A botulinal toxin was developed. This assay was used to study the kinetics of antibody response of a volunteer to botulinal toxoid. The circulating type A antitoxin was first detected by the ELISA 2 weeks after the first booster injection of the toxoid. The antibody titer stayed level until the second booster at 12 weeks. The titer then continued to rise throughout the remaining study period. The neutralizing antibody to type A toxin was detected by mouse assay 15 weeks after detection of antitoxin by the ELISA.