Use of the western blot method for detecting antibodies against proteins of various rotavirus strains

: The aim of this work was to adapt the Western blot method to analyse the humoral response to proteins of rotavirus strains having various antigens. 10 serum samples from animals immunized with SA11, 18 serum samples from hospitalized children with rotavirus infections and 17 serum samples from healthy adults were examined for rotavirus antibodies using Western blot. Antibodies against all structural rotavirus proteins were detected. The examined sera reacted differently with rotavirus proteins depending on the strain used. The highest IgG reactivity was observed for Wa and SA11, while the lowest was noted for DS-1. At the same time a different level of cross-reactivity of human sera with specific proteins of antigenically varying rotaviruses was observed. The sera taken from adults showed a lower reactivity with proteins of antigens used compared with sera from children. The exception was VP6 of the Ito strain for which the reactivity of adult sera was statistically higher. Essential differences in the reactivity of children's and adult sera were found mainly in the case of VP2 and VP4 belonging to the SA11 strain and VP4 and VP7 of the Ito strain. From these investigations we can conclude that the Western blot method may be useful in assessing immune response caused by rotaviruses. The results of reactivity of some human sera with proteins of strains used indicates that the persons had previously been infected by antigenically varied rotaviruses.