Maternal antibody-mediated protection against gastroenteritis due to rotavirus in newborn mice is dependent on both serotype and titer of antibody.
In order to evaluate the role of passively acquired, rotavirus-specific antibodies in protection against diarrhea, we inoculated mouse dams with rotaviruses of various serotypes, and their newborns were orally challenged with a primate rotavirus (simian SA-11). Dams were immunized by using a regimen that included repeated inoculations administered either orally or intraperitoneally with adjuvant. The serum antibody response detected in dams by radioimmunoassay and plaque-reduction neutralization after parenteral immunization was approximately 15-fold and 80-fold greater, respectively, than that found after oral "hyperimmunization." Parenteral immunization with rotavirus serotypes either homotypic or heterotypic to the challenge virus protected suckling mice against diarrhea; protection was closely correlated with the in vitro neutralizing activity of maternal serum against the challenge virus. Oral immunization with only rotavirus strains homotypic to the challenge virus afforded protection; the lower immune response after oral immunization with rotaviruses heterotypic to the challenge virus resulted in a titer of neutralizing antibody to the challenge virus below the protective threshold. From our current studies it appears that antibody-mediated passive protection against rotavirus challenge is dependent on both serotype and titer of antibody.
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D007112:Immunity, Maternally-Acquired; D007116:Immunization, Passive / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012703:Serotyping; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay
D000914:Antibodies, Viral