title: Fecal antibody responses to symptomatic and asymptomatic rotavirus infections.
abstract: The role of anti-rotavirus fecal IgA (RVflgA) in protecting children against natural rotavirus infections is unclear. Rotavirus outbreaks occurred in each of four day care centers attended by 129 children; 42% of the infections were asymptomatic. RVflgA titers were measured by EIA before infection and 4 weeks later in 50 children who excreted rotavirus (excretors) and in two samples 4 weeks apart from 50 children without detected virus excretion (nonexcretors). Forty-three (86%) excretors and 18 (36%) nonexcretors had a fourfold or greater RVflgA titer rise. Preexposure RVflgA titers were higher in not infected than symptomatic (P = .002), asymptomatic than symptomatic (P = .036), and not infected than asymptomatic children (P = .07). RVflgA titers after asymptomatic infections were slightly than after symptomatic infections (P = .087). In summary, higher RVflgA titers were associated with protection against infection and illness and increased fourfold or more in both asymptomatic and symptomatic children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030.
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Matson
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: O'Ryan
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Herrera
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Pickering
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Estes
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005243:Feces; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D012703:Serotyping
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007070:Immunoglobulin A