This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Yoshida, M. Articles by Yamada, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Yoshida, M. Articles by Yamada, M.

Neutralizing Antibody Responses to Human Herpesviruses 6 and 7 Do Not Cross-React with Each Other, and Maternal Neutralizing Antibodies Contribute to Sequential Infection with These Viruses in Childhood

Department of Virology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Okayama,¹ Yokkaichi Social Insurance Hospital, Mie, Japan²

Received 8 August 2001/ Returned for modification 2 November 2001/ Accepted 28 November 2001

Seroprevalence of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and HHV-7 infections is very high throughout the world, and almost all people are exposed first to HHV-6 and second to HHV-7 in their childhood. However, it is not clear whether the neutralizing (NT) antibody response between each virus is cross-reactive or not. To elucidate the NT antibody response between each virus, 55 serum samples from an adult group (subjects 22 to 88 years old) and 60 serum samples from a young group (subjects 2 to 18 years old) were examined by a dot blot method for detecting viral late antigen. Thirty-nine serum samples obtained from cord bloods and a few serum samples obtained from pediatric patients with exanthem subitum were also examined to assess the maternal transferred NT antibodies against each virus. The NT antibody titers against HHV-7 in the adult group remained high throughout all the individuals, and none were negative. Those against HHV-6 were high values in the young group but low values, including negative values (three samples), in the adult group. These results suggested that the NT antibody response to either HHV-6 or HHV-7 in each individual was specific to each virus and did not cross-react with each other. In the adult group, the NT antibody response to HHV-6 decreased, while that to HHV-7 remained high throughout all the individuals. Maternal transferred NT antibody titers against HHV-7 were higher and remained longer after birth than those of HHV-6, and these findings were in accord with the clinical observation that HHV-6 infection usually occurs earlier than HHV-7 infection.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Yoshida, M., Torigoe, S., Yamada, M. (2002). Elucidation of the Cross-Reactive Immunoglobulin M Response to Human Herpesviruses 6 and 7 on the Basis of Neutralizing Antibodies. CVI 9: 394-402 [Abstract] [Full Text]