IgA is important for clearance and critical for protection from rotavirus infection

• Published in: Mucosal immunology Vol. 5; no. 6; pp. 712 - 719
• Main Authors: Blutt, S E, Miller, A D, Salmon, S L, Metzger, D W, Conner, M E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Nature Publishing Group US 01.11.2012; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: 631/250/2152/2153/1291; 631/250/255/2514; 631/250/347; Adaptive Immunity; Allergology; Animals; Antibodies; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Antibodies, Viral - immunology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Feces - virology; Female; Gastroenterology; Gene Deletion; Gene Expression; IgA Deficiency - immunology; Immunity, Innate; Immunoglobulin A - genetics; Immunoglobulin A - immunology; Immunology; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Rotavirus - immunology; Rotavirus Infections - genetics; Rotavirus Infections - immunology; Rotavirus Infections - virology; Viral Load
• ISSN: 1933-0219; 1935-3456
• DOI: 10.1038/mi.2012.51

Based on a lack of severe phenotype in human immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency syndromes, the role of IgA in controlling respiratory and gastrointestinal (GI) infections has not been clearly defined. C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice lacking IgA (IgA −/− ) were developed and used to address this question. When exposed to a common GI virus, rotavirus, IgA −/− mice exhibited a substantial and significant delay in clearance of the initial infection compared with wild-type mice. IgA −/− mice excreted rotavirus in stool up to 3 weeks after the initial exposure compared with 10 days observed in wild-type mice. Importantly, IgA −/− mice failed to develop protective immunity against multiple repeat exposures to the virus. All IgA −/− mice excreted virus in the stool upon re-exposure to rotavirus, whereas wild-type mice were completely protected against re-infection. These findings clearly indicate a critical role for IgA in the establishment of immunity against a GI viral pathogen.