EVALUATION OF SUBGROUP-SPECIFIC PEPTIDES OF THE G-PROTEIN OF RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS FOR CHARACTERIZATION OF THE IMMUNE-RESPONSE

Two synthetic peptides, designated peptides 12G(A) and 12G(B), represe nting amino acids 174-188 of the G glycoprotein of respiratory syncyti al virus (RSV) subgroup A (strain A2) and subgroup B (strain CH18537) were evaluated for their properties as subgroup-specific antigens for enzyme immunoassay (ELISA). These peptides were used to characterize t he immune response of children with naturally occurring RSV infection during six annual epidemics in the Huntington area, West Virginia, USA ; viz. 1978-1979, 1979-1980, 1980-1981, 1983-1984, 1989-1990, and 1990 -1991. The study group comprised 43 paired sera from 42 infants and ch ildren, who ranged in age between 1 month and 5.5 years of age (median age 16 months). The inclusion criteria were subgroup identification o f RSV, respiratory tract illness requiring admission to hospital, and the availability of paired sera. Five of 30 children with subgroup A a nd 3 of 13 children with subgroup B infections developed homologous or dual fourfold or greater antibody responses to peptides 12G(A) and 12 G(B) during convalescence; six of these eight children also developed antibody rises to whole virus antigens. Twenty children (14 subgroup A and 6 subgroup B) developed such responses in antibody only to whole virus (not to the peptides), and 15 children (11 subgroup A and 4 subg roup B) failed to develop a rise in antibody. Children who developed r ises in antibody to the peptides were usually less than 9 months of ag e, suggesting that a response to peptides was more likely to occur dur ing primary infection. Peptides 12G(A) and 12G(B) of RSV G protein lac ked sufficient sensitivity and specificity to serve as antigens for EL ISA for characterizing the subgroup-specific immune responses to RSV i nfection in infants and children. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.