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. 1996 Jul;3(4):477–479. doi: 10.1128/cdli.3.4.477-479.1996

Prevalence of neutralizing antibody to respiratory syncytial virus in sera from mothers and newborns residing in the Gambia and in The United States.

R O Suara 1, P A Piedra 1, W P Glezen 1, R A Adegbola 1, M Weber 1, E K Mulholland 1, B M Greenwood 1, H Whittle 1
PMCID: PMC170373  PMID: 8807217

Abstract

The prevalence of maternal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-neutralizing antibodies has been documented in developed countries, but there is little information from developing countries. We assessed the prevalence of RSV-neutralizing antibody in sera from Gambian women and their newborns and compared them with their American counterparts during a similar period. The geometric mean titers of maternal antibodies to RSV subgroup A in the two populations were similar, while titers of antibodies to RSV subgroup B in Gambian mothers were significantly higher (8.7 +/- 1.4 versus 7.9 +/- 1.3 [mean +/- standard deviation], P < 0.001). The titers of neutralizing antibody in newborns in both populations correlated with the neutralizing-antibody titers of their mothers. Thus, the status of neutralizing antibody to both major RSV subgroups was comparable among infants and mothers in a developing country, The Gambia, and those in a developed country, the United States.

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Selected References

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