title: Mouse hepatitis virus and host determinants of vertical transmission and maternally-derived passive immunity in mice.
abstract: Transmission of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) in utero following oronasal inoculation of pregnant mice was found to depend upon MHV strain and host genotype. Virulent, polytropic MHV-JHM was recovered from multiple maternal tissues, including liver and uterus, as well as placenta and fetus in susceptible BALB/cByJ mice. Fetuses were infected during all 3 trimesters of pregnancy. Low virulence, polytropic MHV-S infected fetuses in a low percentage of susceptible BALB/cByJ dams. Infection of resistant CD-1 mice with MHV-JHM was limited, with no fetal infection. Enterotropic MHV-Y was largely restricted to intestine of BALB/cByJ and CD-1 dams, with minimal dissemination and no fetal infection. Maternally-derived MHV IgG antibody was detectable in pup sera through 4 weeks of age. Antibody titers were generally lower in second litters of the same dam. Cross-fostering experiments showed that antibody was transferred via colostrum and not in utero, and that pups were capable of absorption through 2 weeks of age. Pups nursing immune dams were protected against MHV challenge at 1 and 2 weeks of age, compared to pups nursing naive dams. Immunity to MHV challenge was cross-protective against both antigenically homotypic and heterotypic strains of MHV.
authors.affiliation: Section of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Barthold
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D003126:Colostrum / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D006524:Hepatitis, Viral, Animal / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D007112:Immunity, Maternally-Acquired; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D006517:Murine hepatitis virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology; D014599:Uterus / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G