title: Prenatal transfer of low amounts of herpes simplex virus (HSV)-specific antibody protects newborn mice against HSV infection during acute maternal stress.
abstract: Given their immunocompromised status, neonates rely heavily upon maternally derived, herpes simplex virus (HSV)-specific antibody for resistance to HSV infection. Interestingly, previous studies have documented a decreased transfer of maternal IgG antibody and immunocompetence of the offspring following perinatal exposure to stress-induced corticosterone. However, we recently demonstrated that the transplacental transfer of relatively high amounts of HSV-specific antibody is resilient to acute maternal stress and protects neonatal mice against HSV-2-associated mortality. Our current studies demonstrate that transplacentally acquired, HSV-specific antibody declines rapidly in neonate serum such that by day 7 postnatal only 10% of this antibody remains. Prenatal stress does not affect the overall kinetics with which the HSV-specific antibody declines. Surprisingly, this relatively low level of antibody is still sufficient to protect 7-day-old mice against HSV-associated mortality. To extend these studies, we utilized an immunization strategy that elicits low levels of HSV-specific antibody in maternal serum. We demonstrated that despite a stress-induced increase in corticosterone, the prenatal transfer and protective capacity of low amounts of HSV-specific antibody remains intact during acute maternal stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
authors.forename: Jodi L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Yorty
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Bonneau
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000276:immunology; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000276:immunology; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D007112:Immunity, Maternally-Acquired / Q000276:immunology*; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000276:immunology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D003345:Corticosterone