Pattern of acquisition of rotavirus antibody in children followed up from birth to the age of three years

Abstract

Nine hundred and forty-eight serum samples from 83 children living in Belem, Brazil, collected within their first three years of life, were tested for the presence of group-specific rotavirus-antibody by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) blocking-test. Passively transferred maternal antibody lasted about two and half months; subsequently, low levels of rotavirus antibody started to appear at seven months, reaching a peak at eleven months of age. From one year onwards positivity gradually increased, reaching highest values at 34 months of life. Individual responses were examined in sera from 61 children who were followed up since birth to three years of age: 38 (62.3%) of them developed a long-term immunity following first infection; eleven (18.0%) children developed a short-term immunity after first infection by rotavirus; seven (11.5%) had no antibody response within their first three years of life; and 5 (8.2%) showed positive antibody response from birth to three years old.

High prevalence of circulating DS-1-like human rotavirus A and genotype diversity in children with acute gastroenteritis in Thailand from 2016 to 2019

“…However, in older children there was a clear reduction in RVA infection. A possible explanation for this could be the acquisition of protective immunity in older children during prior exposure to RV, then they became resistant to a subsequent RVA infection (Echeverria et al, 1983;Linhares et al, 1989). In addition, the rate of RVA infection increased over the winter season in Thailand (December-March), which corresponded to the seasonal pattern of RVA infection in Thailand, as described in a previous surveillance study (Maiklang et al, 2012).…”

Epidemiology of rotavirus infection in Thailand

“…This might be partly explained by the fact that older children acquired protective immunity during previous exposures to rotavirus and therefore they are resistant to rotavirus infection. 35,36 By contrast, the minimal number of rotavirus diarrhea cases observed in infants at the age of less than 1–5 months might possibly be due to maternal immunity and non‐specific factors contained in colostrum and breast milk that provide some protection against rotavirus infection. 37,38 …”

Epidemiologia das infecções por rotavírus no Brasil e os desafios para o seu controle

“…Durante estudo prospectivo desenvolvido na região Norte (Linhares et al, 1989b) se denotou persistência dos anticorpos maternos, transferidos passivamente, ao longo do primeiro trimestre de vida. Aos 6-7 meses observaram-se os mais baixos índices de positividade, sobrevindo elevação gradual a partir do primeiro ano.…”