Epitope-specific immune responses to rotavirus vaccination

Gastroenterology. 1987 Nov;93(5):941-50. doi: 10.1016/0016-5085(87)90555-5.

Abstract

Rotavirus gastroenteritis is a leading cause of infant mortality in developing countries and an important cause of morbidity in children under 2 yr of age in the United States. Vaccine programs have evaluated animal rotavirus strains that are attenuated in humans but antigenically similar to some human strains. Whether a single vaccine strain can elicit protective immunity in humans to rotaviruses of the same or different serotypes is an important question in determining vaccine efficacy. We used characterized serotype-specific monoclonal antibodies directed at VP7 in a competitive solid-phase immunoassay to measure epitope-specific immune responses to serotypes 1, 2, and 3 in sera of children who received a candidate serotype-3 rotavirus vaccine. Antibodies to serotype 3 were detected in 72% of sera samples, and to serotype 1 and 2 in only 11% each. Also, a VP3-specific monoclonal antibody which neutralizes three serotypically distinct strains of rotavirus was used to detect the presence of similar antibodies in 56% of the test sera. This finding suggests a mechanism of heterotypic immunity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology*
  • Antibody Formation
  • Antibody Specificity
  • Binding, Competitive
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Epitopes / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Rotavirus / immunology*
  • Rotavirus Infections / prevention & control*
  • Rotavirus Vaccines*
  • Vaccination*
  • Vaccines, Attenuated / immunology*
  • Viral Vaccines / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Epitopes
  • RIT 4237 vaccine
  • Rotavirus Vaccines
  • Vaccines, Attenuated
  • Viral Vaccines