A study on delayed hypersensitivity to rotavirus in infancy and childhood.
The T-cell responsiveness to rotavirus antigen and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) together with T-cell total and subsets quantitation was carried out in 50 non-diarrhoeal and six rotavirus diarrhoeal subjects. All individuals in the non-diarrhoeal group responded well to PHA and had normal values for T-cell subsets. The number of positive responders to the rotavirus antigen increased gradually from 0% in the newborns to 92% in older children. The increasing risk of exposure to rotavirus infection is thought to be a chief cause of this age-related variation. All the rotavirus diarrhoeal patients responded well to the rotavirus antigen, indicating a potent test system. The T-cell responses to PHA and the T-cell subsets were significantly low. This could be due to temporary T-cell suppression that may accompany viral infection. Our results are discussed in the context of previous studies.
Elaraby
I
I
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Immunology, University of Alexandria, Egypt.
el-Sharkawy
S
S
Abbassy
A
A
Hussein
M
M
D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins