Strain specificity of serum antibody to the haemagglutinin of influenza A (H3N2) viruses in children following immunization or natural infection

Abstract

SUMMARYThe specificity of serum anti-HA antibody from children immunized or infected with A/Victoria/75 (H3N2) or A/Texas/77 (H3N2) virus was examined using the single radial haemolysis test together with adsorption of antibody with three antigenic variants A/Hong Kong/68 (H3N2), A/Port Chalmers/73 (H3N2) and A/Victoria/75 (H3N2). The majority of young children reacted to vaccination or infection by producing strain-specific (SS) antibody to the homologous virus. A small proportion of children's sera contained cross-reacting (CR) antibodies capable of reacting with the haemagglutinins of all antigenic variants of the subtype including A/HK/1/68. In contrast, most adults reacted immunologically to either vaccination or infection by producing CR antibody, reacting with all variants of the antigenic subtype including the prototype virus A/HK/1/68 (H3N2).

Quantitation and analysis of the specificity of post-immunization antibodies to influenza B viruses using single radial haemolysis

“…Only a relatively few strains of influenza B virus have been analysed in the present study, but the viruses include the most recent antigenic variant of epidemiological (Schild et al, 1977;Oxford et al 1981;Couch et al 1979). The early reported phenomenon of 'original antigenic sin' for influenza A viruses (Francis, 1953;Davenport, Hennessy & Francis, 1953;Fazekas de St Groth & Webster, 1966) may also explain, therefore, this antibody response to influenza B viruses.…”

“…For influenza B viruses a limited chequerboard titration was performed, and the Influenza B antibody by radial haemolysi3s relative proportions of virus-sensitized red blood cells to guinea-pig complement varied by up to twofold to obtain optimum haemolysis zones. Generally, immunoplates contained 0-3 ml of virus-sensitized red blood cells (10 % v/v) and fresh guinea-pig complement (0-15 ml) in agarose gel (2-5 ml) and were prepared as described previously (Schild, Pereira & Chakraverty, 1975;Oxford et al 1981). The SRH plates or virus-sensitized red blood cells could be stored at 4°C for several weeks before use.…”

“…The SRH test has been used previously to analyse the specificity of the antibody response to vaccines containing influenza A viruses (Schild et al 1977;Oxford et al 1981). Most adults respond to immunization by producing cross-reactive (CR) antibodies which react with the HA of all viruses of a single antigenic subtype.…”

“…Chakraverty (1980) has described the use of the single radial haemolysis (SRH) test for sero-epidemiological studies with influenza B viruses isolated in 1973 and 1975, and the technique appeared to be more sensitive than the HI test. We describe here the application of a modified SRH technique (Oxford et al 1981) to quantitate and to analyse the specificity of the anti-haemagglutinin (HA) antibody response following vaccination of adults with influenza B viruses including B/Hong Kong/8/73 and the recent antigenic variant B/Singapore/222/79. The SRH test is shown to be significantly more sensitive than the HI test for the detection of both post-vaccination levels of anti-HA antibody and seroconversions to influenza B viruses.…”

Selection of neutralizing antibody escape mutants with type A influenza virus HA-specific polyclonal antisera: possible significance for antigenic drift

“…However, our data in mice [20] and those of others on antibody specificity [26][27][28] and V gene usage [29] show that a narrow HA-specific antibody response can occur. The antiserum response of human hosts to infection with H3 virus to influenza virus HA can also be biased, and this is particularly so in children aged 5 years [30][31][32][33]. Wang and colleagues [33], using a competitive binding assay and ELISA which examined three epitopes of the H3 HA, found a relatively restricted response in adult human sera taken between 1969 and 1971 but not in sera taken in 1978.…”