Systemic antibodies administered by passive immunization prevent generalization of the infection by foot-and-mouth disease virus in cattle after oronasal challenge

Authors: BARRIONUEVO, F - Institute De Virologia; DI GIACOMO, S - Institute De Virologia; BUCAFUSCO, D - Institute De Virologia; AYUDE, A - Institute De Virologia; SCHAMMAS, J - Institute De Virologia; MIRAGLIA, M - Institute De Virologia; CAPOZZO, A - Institute De Virologia; Borca, Manuel; PEREZ-FILGUEIRA, M - Institute De Virologia

Submitted to: Virology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/12/2018
Publication Date: 3/15/2018
Citation: Barrionuevo, F., Di Giacomo, S., Bucafusco, D., Ayude, A., Schammas, J., Miraglia, M.C., Capozzo, A., Borca, M.V., Perez-Filgueira, M. 2018. Systemic antibodies administered by passive immunization prevent generalization of the infection by foot-and-mouth disease virus in cattle after oronasal challenge. Virology. 518:143-151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2018.02.012.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2018.02.012

Interpretive Summary: The role of circulating antibodies in the protection against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus infection in cattle was evaluated. Receptor calves received sera from animals were vaccinated either 7 or 26 earlier. Using this model it was possible to demonstrate that antibodies were sufficient to prevent disease in animals receiving serum from 26 days post vaccination (dpv) but not with the 7 dpv serum. Interestingly, animals receiving conventional FMD vaccination were protected at 7 dpv, with fast and robust antibody responses quantitatively similar to those found in non-protected animals passively immunized with 7-dpv serum. These results demonstrate that presence of antigen-specific antibodies is critical to prevent the dissemination of the virus within the animal.

Technical Abstract: The role of passively transferred sera in the protection against aerogenous foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus infection in cattle was evaluated using vaccine-induced immune serum preparations obtained at 7 and 26 days post-vaccination (dpv). We showed that circulating antibodies were sufficient to prevent disease generalization after oronasal infection in animals passively transferred with 26-dpv serum but not with the 7-dpv serum. Conversely, conventional FMD vaccination provided clinical protection at 7 dpv, promoting fast and robust antibody responses upon challenge and even though antibody titers were similar to those found in animals passively immunized with 7-dpv serum. These results demonstrate that presence of antigen-specific antibodies is critical to prevent the dissemination of the virus within the animal. Conventional FMD vaccination additionally promoted the deployment of rapid, high titer and isotype-switched antibody responses at systemic and mucosal levels after infection, thus conferring protection even in the presence of low pre-challenge antibody titers.