COMPARISON OF MEASLES-VIRUS SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES WITH ANTIBODY-DEPENDENT CELLULAR CYTOTOXICITY AND NEUTRALIZING FUNCTIONS

Measles virus-specific antibodies with antibody-dependent cellular cyt otoxicity (ADCC) and neutralizing functions were compared in 25 health y women. ADCC antibody was measured in a 12-h Cr-51 release assay usin g peripheral blood mononuclear cells as effectors and Raji cells persi stently infected with measles as targets. Neutralizing antibody was de termined by the plaque neutralization test (PNT). ADCC and PNT titers correlated well (r = .80, P <.001). ADCC titers ranged from <1 0 to >1 0(6) and averaged 1.3 logs higher than PNT titers. Three sera with PNT titers of <1 20, including 1 with a titer of <8 (<10(0.9)), had ADCC titers of greater-than-or-equal-to 10(2.5). Among subjects born in the United States, ADCC titers, but not PNT titers, correlated inversely with the year of birth, suggesting that ADCC antibody may be more indi cative than neutralizing antibody of differences between naturally and vaccine-acquired immunity. These data suggest a possible role for ADC C in protection or recovery from measles.