Measles virus-specific functional antibody responses and viremia during acute measles

J Infect Dis. 1994 Jun;169(6):1377-80. doi: 10.1093/infdis/169.6.1377.

Abstract

Antibody titers measured in functional and immunofluorescent assays were compared with proportions of peripheral blood mononuclear cells infected with measles virus in 8 adults with measles. In addition, a syncytium inhibition assay (SIA) for measuring neutralizing antibody using low-passage virus was compared with a standard plaque neutralization test (PNT). Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) antibody rose later but attained higher titer than neutralizing, antibody-dependent complement-mediated lysis, IgM, or IgG antibodies. When titer changes between specimens from each patient obtained on different days were compared, only ADCC (r = .81, P = .026) and IgM (r = .81, P = .027) antibodies correlated with reductions in viremia. SIA and PNT correlated well (r = .93, P < .001). ADCC may be an important defense against measles. The delay in ADCC antibody relative to other antibodies is unique among viruses studied. The SIA is a useful alternative to the PNT for measuring measles neutralizing antibody.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Viral / biosynthesis*
  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology
  • Female
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Giant Cells / microbiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Measles / immunology*
  • Measles / microbiology
  • Measles virus / immunology*
  • Neutralization Tests
  • Viremia / immunology*
  • Viremia / microbiology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral