title: Antigenic Maps of Influenza A(H3N2) Produced With Human Antisera Obtained After Primary Infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antigenic characterization of influenza viruses is typically based on hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay data for viral isolates tested against strain-specific postinfection ferret antisera. Here, similar virus characterizations were performed using serological data from humans with primary influenza A(H3N2) infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  We screened sera collected between 1995 and 2011 from children between 9 and 24 months of age for influenza virus antibodies, performed HI tests for the positive sera against 23 influenza viruses isolated between 1989 and 2011, and measured HI titers of antisera against influenza A(H3N2) from 24 ferrets against the same panel of viruses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 17 positive human sera, 6 had a high response, showing HI patterns that would be expected from primary infection antisera, while 11 sera had lower, more dispersed patterns of reactivity that are not easily explained. The antigenic map based on the high-response human HI data was similar to the map created using ferret data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the overall structure of the ferret and human antigenic maps is similar, local differences in virus positions indicate that the human and ferret immune system might see antigenic properties of viruses differently. Further studies are needed to establish the degree of similarity between serological patterns in ferret and human data.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Pathogen Evolution, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge WHO Collaborating Centre for Modelling, Evolution, and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Cambridge, United Kingdom Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC.
authors.forename: Judith M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fonville
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Pieter L A
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Fraaij
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC.
authors.forename: Gerrie
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Mutsert
authors.affiliation: Centre for Pathogen Evolution, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge WHO Collaborating Centre for Modelling, Evolution, and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Samuel H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Wilks
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC.
authors.forename: Ruud
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Beek
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC.
authors.forename: Ron A M
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Fouchier
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC.
authors.forename: Guus F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Rimmelzwaan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005289:Ferrets; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D053122:Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype / Q000276:immunology*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral
keywords: antibody landscapes; antigenic cartography; human antisera; influenza; primary infection