title: Measles virus protein-specific IgM, IgA, and IgG subclass responses during the acute and convalescent phase of infection.
abstract: The availability of new generation serological assays allowed re-evaluation of the antibody response to measles virus. IgM, IgA, total IgG, and IgG subclass responses were studied to the three major immunogenic measles virus proteins: the fusion protein (F), haemagglutinin (H), and nucleoprotein (N). Plasma samples were obtained from clinically diagnosed measles cases (n = 146) in Khartoum (Sudan) within a week after onset of the rash. Convalescent phase samples were collected from 32 of 117 laboratory-confirmed measles cases at different time points after onset of rash. Glycoprotein-specific IgM, IgG, and IgA antibody levels correlated well to the N-specific response. For IgG and IgA, responses to F were higher than to H. IgA antibody levels were undetectable in about one third of the laboratory-confirmed cases during the acute phase, but positive in all patients tested 1-4 weeks after infection. IgM levels declined rapidly and were lost 3-6 months after infection. IgA levels declined slowly during the first year but did not return to background levels during the subsequent 2 years. IgG avidity maturation was detected during a 3-6 month period after infection. The predominant IgG subclasses during the acute phase were IgG(1) and IgG(3). The latter was lost in the convalescent phase, while the IgG(4) isotype showed a slight rise afterwards. Interestingly, acute phase IgG(3) and IgA responses were associated, and were only detected in samples with high IgG. This study provides a comprehensive perspective on the antibody response to wild-type measles virus infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: El Mubarak
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Vos
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mukhtar
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Mustafa
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Wild
authors.forename: A D M E
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Osterhaus
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: de Swart
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000097:blood*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D008457:Measles / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D008459:Measles virus / Q000276:immunology*; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; C032397:hemagglutinin protein G, measles virus