Neutralization of rotavirus and recognition of immunologically important epitopes on VP4 and VP7 by human IgA.

Rotavirus is an important cause of gastroenteritis in young children. Locally produced antibodies in the intestinal mucosa are proposed to play an important role in the defence against rotavirus infection, but it is not established whether IgA alone can neutralize rotavirus, nor if IgA antibodies recognize epitopes involved in protective immunity. To evaluate whether human IgA plays a role in virus neutralization, serum IgA was purified from nineteen rotavirus seropositive individuals and examined for its neutralizing capacity by a peroxidase focus reduction test. In all nineteen sera IgA neutralizing antibodies against serotype 3 (rhesus rotavirus) were demonstrated. Purified IgA was further investigated and shown not only to neutralize rotavirus in solution but also to neutralize rotavirus already pre-bound to epithelial cells (MA-104). IgA epitope blocking assays with monoclonal antibodies directed against heterotypic epitopes on VP4 and VP7, revealed that IgA antibodies from 4/16 sera recognized epitopes on VP4, while 5/16 sera recognized a VP7 epitope. When whole sera were investigated for comparison 7 and 9/16 sera recognized epitopes on VP4 and VP7 respectively.