Seroepidemiology of human group C rotavirus in the UK

✍ Scribed by James, V. L. A.; Lambden, P. R.; Caul, E. O.; Cooke, S. J.; Clarke, I. N.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 519 KB
• Volume: 52
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0146-6615
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9071(199705)52:1<86::aid-jmv14>3.0.co;2-z

✦ Synopsis

The gene coding for the major inner capsid protein VP6 of human group C rotavirus was cloned into baculovirus using the pBlueBac2™ vector and expressed in insect cells. When cultured in High Five™ cells, VP6 was expressed at a high level and exported to the cell culture medium. Purified VP6 was used to immunise rabbits. Hyperimmune rabbit serum, which reacted with native human group C rotavirus in infected cells, was used to develop and optimise an EIA for the detection of antibodies to group C rotavirus using the recombinant VP6 as a source of antigen. In a local epidemiological survey of 1000 sera grouped by age, an average of 43% of samples were found to have antibodies to human group C rotavirus with the highest proportion (66%) in the 71-75 year age group. In comparison, 97% of adults and 85% of children had antibodies to recombinant VP6 from the bovine RF strain of group A rotavirus. These results suggest that infection with human group C rotavirus is a common occurrence despite the apparent rarity of reports of human group C rotavirus in clinical samples from patients with gastroenteritis.