The Humoral Immune Profiles of Infants Before and After Severe Primary Respiratory Syncytial Virus A and B Infection
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Infants are at risk of severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. We characterized the humoral immune response of infants with primary RSV infection. METHODS: Term infants hospitalized for RSV-acute respiratory infection (ARI) or non-RSV-ARI (controls) were enrolled from November 2018 through March 2020 at 5 pediatric medical institutions. Adult controls were women aged 18-45 years without acute RSV infection. Acute and convalescent sera were tested for homologous and heterologous neutralizing antibodies (NtAbs), competitive antibodies (CA) to sites Ø, II, IV and I on the fusion (F) glycoprotein, and anti-postF and 27 amino acid peptide (p27) IgG. Geometric mean titer or CA concentration of acute and convalescent sera were compared between and within groups. RESULTS: Sixty-six infants (49 RSV infected and 17 controls) were enrolled. Median age was 76 (IQR 45-179) and 151 (IQR 72-207) days for RSV and control groups, respectively. NtAbs and CA at hospitalization were low among infant groups. Post-infection, RSV/A induced robust homologous and heterologous NtAb responses while RSV/B caused a robust NtAb response only to RSV/B. RSV/A infection generated significant CA rise to sites IV and II, while RSV/B infection resulted in only site II CA rise. Rises in postF and p27 IgG were not detected. Post-infection RSV antibody levels in infants were markedly lower compared to control adult women. CONCLUSION: RSV-infected infants had low pre-infection levels of protective antibodies. Infants infected with RSV/A compared to RSV/B generated a more robust NtAb response, highlighted by a broader CA response to sites II and IV.
Authors: Vasanthi Avadhanula, Leila C Sahni, Laura Ferlic Stark, Marian G Michaels, John V Williams, Eileen J Klein, Janet A Englund, Daniel C Payne, Mary Allen Staat, Elizabeth P Schlaudecker, Natasha Halasa, Laura Stewart, Geoffrey A Weinberg, Peter G Szilagyi, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Christopher Harrison, Heidi Moline, Natalie Thornburg, Julie A Boom, Pedro A Piedra
Institutions: Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, University of Pittsburgh, University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of Washington, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, University of Rochester Medicine, University of Rochester, University of California, Los Angeles, Children's Mercy Hospital, University of Missouri–Kansas City, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,763
Awards: G1010897026, G1982845842
OpenAlex ID: W7202260894