title: Epitope specificities of human serum antibodies reactive with respiratory syncytial virus fusion protein.
abstract: Respiratory syncytial (RS) virus continues to cause serious human respiratory disease and no prophylactic vaccine is yet available. Serum antibodies to RS virus fusion protein (F) that have the appropriate specificities and activities could confer protection against severe RS virus infections. To explore human serum antibody responses to RS virus F we first characterised four epitopes on F and then measured the concentrations of human serum antibodies to these sites for 389 sera. Individuals varied in serum antibody concentration to the epitopes. The distribution patterns of the concentrations of antibodies reactive to each epitope were different. Antigenic variation of F at these epitopes in Southampton RS virus isolates was examined by immunofluorescence. The F proteins from different isolates varied within and between RS virus subtypes which co-circulated in the outbreak of winter 1985-1986. Variations in F detected by immunofluorescence were consistent with differences between the strains' susceptibilities to monoclonal antibody antiviral action.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Southampton Medical School, U.K.
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Everson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000940:Antigenic Variation; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D015707:HN Protein; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000276:immunology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D014764:Viral Proteins
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D015707:HN Protein; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; C116204:attachment protein G