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This Article Full Text (Papers in Press[PDF]) All Versions of this Article: vir.0.014944-0v1 90/12/2982    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Google Scholar Articles by de Swart, R. L. Articles by Osterhaus, A. D.M.E. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by de Swart, R. L. Articles by Osterhaus, A. D.M.E. Agricola Articles by de Swart, R. L. Articles by Osterhaus, A. D.M.E.

Depletion of measles virus glycoprotein-specific antibodies from human sera reveals genotype-specific neutralising antibodies

¹ Erasmus MC, Rotterdam. The Netherlands;
² Laboratoire National de Santé, WHO Regional Centre for Measles & Rubella, Luxembourg

³ E-mail: r.deswart{at}erasmusmc.nl

Measles virus (MV) neutralising antibodies in sera from vaccinated subjects are mainly directed to the haemagglutinin (H). We have previously shown that depletion of vaccination-induced H-specific antibodies by co-culture of sera with cells expressing the MV-Edmonston H glycoprotein resulted in almost complete abrogation of neutralising activity. Here, we have depleted MV H- and/or fusion protein (F)-specific antibodies from sera of naturally immune subjects. Early convalescent samples were collected 1,5 years after a well-characterised measles outbreak in Luxembourg caused by a genotype C2 virus, while late convalescent samples were collected from healthy Dutch subjects born between 1960 and 1970. Depletion of both H- and F-specific antibodies completely abrogated virus neutralising (VN) activity against MV-Edmonston. However, in the early convalescent samples residual VN antibody against wild-type MV genotype C2 was detected. This demonstrates that although the majority of MV-specific VN antibodies recognised epitopes conserved between different genotypes, genotype-specific VN epitopes were also induced. In sera only depleted of H-specific antibodies VN activity against MV-Edmonston was not completely abrogated, demonstrating the presence of F-specific VN antibodies. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that a fraction of VN antibodies induced by wild-type MV genotype C2 does not neutralise MV strain Edmonston. In addition, it was shown that in sera from naturally immune donors the majority of VN antibodies are specific for MV H, but up to 10% of neutralising antibodies are specific for MV F.

Received 10 July 2009; accepted 25 August 2009.