title: Antibody prevalence and titer to norovirus (genogroup II) correlate with secretor (FUT2) but not with ABO phenotype or Lewis (FUT3) genotype.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Histo-blood group antigens and secretor status have been associated with susceptibility to Norovirus infections, which suggests that antibody prevalence and titer might correlate with these phenotypes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma samples (n = 105) from Swedish blood donors that had been genotyped for secretor (FUT2) and Lewis (Le; FUT3) genotypes and phenotyped for ABO and Le blood groups were analyzed for immunoglobulin G antibody prevalence and titers to norovirus genogroup (GG) II.4.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that nonsecretors (se4128se428) and Lea+b- individuals not only had significantly lower antibody titers than did secretors (P < .0001) and Lea-b+ individuals (P < .0002) but were also significantly more often antibody negative (P < .05). Antibody titers in secretors were not significantly different between individuals of different Le (FUT3) genotypes or different ABO phenotypes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nonsecretors and Lea+b- individuals are significantly less prone to be infected with GGII noroviruses. This new information extends previous knowledge and supports the hypothesis that nonsecretors are relatively but not absolutely resistant to norovirus infections.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Virology, University of Linkoping, 581 85 Linkoping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Malin Modin
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: Gustaf E P
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Rydell
authors.forename: Ammi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grahn
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Diaz
authors.forename: Britt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Akerlind
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hutson
authors.forename: Mary K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Estes
authors.forename: Goran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Svensson
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001789:Blood Group Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005647:Fucosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D029322:Norovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D000097631:Galactoside 2-alpha-L-fucosyltransferase
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D001789:Blood Group Antigens; D005647:Fucosyltransferases; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D000097631:Galactoside 2-alpha-L-fucosyltransferase; C019818:3-galactosyl-N-acetylglucosaminide 4-alpha-L-fucosyltransferase