PRECHALLENGE ANTIBODIES MODERATE DISEASE EXPRESSION IN ADULTS EXPERIMENTALLY EXPOSED TO RHINOVIRUS STRAIN HANKS

This double-blind study determined the influence of serum neutralizing antibody titers on the rate of infection and magnitude of disease exp ression after experimental exposure of adult volunteers to rhinovirus strain Hanks (RV-H). A total of 133 healthy volunteers were tested for antibody status, cloistered for a 6-day period, and challenged with R V-H at the end of the first cloister day. On these days, response to v iral challenge is assessed with symptom diaries and physical examinati ons. The low-titer infected group was significantly different from the intermediate-titer infected and the uninfected groups in terms of pos tchallenge nasal and throat symptoms, expelled secretion weights, nasa l mucociliary clearance rates, and frequency of negative middle ear pr essures. A similar trend held for the infected high-titer vs, low-tite r group comparisons. These data show that high homotypic serum neutral izing antibody titers are associated with protection from infection an d lessened signs and symptoms following experimental RV-H exposure.