ROTAVIRUS-SPECIFIC INTESTINAL IMMUNE-RESPONSE IN MICE ASSESSED BY ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSPOT ASSAY AND INTESTINAL FRAGMENT CULTURE

Primate rotavirus strain RRV and bovine strain WC3 or reassortants mad e between these animal viruses and human rotaviruses have been adminis tered to infants as candidate vaccines. We compared RRV and WC3 in a m urine model of oral infection. We determined the relative capacities o f these viruses to induce a virus-specific humoral immune response by intestinal lymphocytes as tested by enzyme-linked immunospot assay, in testinal fragment culture, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of in testinal contents. We found that inoculation of mice with RRV induced higher frequencies of virus-specific immunoglobulin A (IgA)-secreting cells in the lamina propria, greater quantities of virus-specific IgA in intestinal fragment cultures, and greater quantities of virus-speci fic IgA in intestinal secretions than did inoculation with WC3 or inac tivated RRV (iRRV). The induction of an IgA response in serum was pred ictive of an IgA response among intestinal lymphocytes after inoculati on with RRV but not WC3. In addition, large quantities of IgG, IgA, an d IgM not specific for rotavirus were produced in fragment cultures fr om mice inoculated with RRV but not in cultures from mice inoculated w ith WC3 or iRRV. Possible mechanisms of RRV-induced polyclonal stimula tion of intestinal B cells are discussed.