HOMOTYPIC IMMUNE-RESPONSE TO PRIMARY INFECTION WITH ROTAVIRUS SEROTYPE G1

Some aspects of rotavirus humoral immunity were assessed on the basis of distinguishing serotype-specific specificities (VP4/VP7) by using r otavirus reassortants, human and animal strains in neutralization assa ys in serum samples obtained during the acute phase, and 1, 6 and 12 m onths after primary natural infection. In this study, all the infectin g virus strains were characterized as G type and some also as P type. Primary natural infection induces a significantly greater homotypic ne utralization response than heterotypic response. In addition, there wa s no significant difference in the number of homotypic or heterotypic responses following reinfection. Transplacentally acquired homotypic a ntibodies were associated with protection against dehydration during r otavirus gastroenteritis. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.