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Published on: January 28, 2019

Natural immunity to rotavirus infection in children

Jyoti Malik1, Maharaj K Bhan, Pratima Ray

  • 1Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India.

Indian Journal of Biochemistry & Biophysics
|September 16, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Rotavirus (RV) infection causes significant child mortality globally. This review examines antibody and cellular immune responses in children to RV infection, aiding vaccine development.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Virology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Rotavirus (RV) infection is a leading cause of infant and young child mortality worldwide, particularly in India.
  • Natural immunity develops in children following RV exposure, with initial infections being most severe and subsequent ones milder.
  • Understanding protective mechanisms against RV diarrhea is crucial for vaccine development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge of antibody responses in children against rotavirus (RV) antigens.
  • To explore the role of these immune responses in protective immunity against RV infection.
  • To briefly review non-antibody immune responses during human RV infection.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on rotavirus (RV) infection and immune responses in children.
  • Focus on antibody responses specific to viral antigens.
  • Inclusion of data on cellular immunity and non-antibody effectors.

Main Results:

  • RV-specific antibodies are well-documented during natural infection, but data on cellular immunity are sparse.
  • Outer capsid proteins VP4 and VP7 are thought to be key in stimulating neutralizing antibodies.
  • Evidence suggests non-structural viral proteins may also induce protective immunity, an area with limited research.

Conclusions:

  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the role of both antibody and cellular immunity in protection against rotavirus.
  • Understanding diverse immune responses, including to non-structural proteins, is vital for effective rotavirus vaccine design.
  • Correlating immune responses with protection in human clinical trials remains a challenge.

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