Serum antibodies against norovirus GI.1 and GII.4 in populations in central and eastern China

Objective\r\nTo detect norovirus (NoV) GⅠ.1- and GⅡ.4-specific IgG, IgA and histo-blood group antigen (HBGA)-blocking antibodies in healthy populations of all age groups in China for better understanding the epidemiological features of norovirus in China from a serological point of view and providing basic data for vaccine development and clinical trial design.\r\n\r\n\r\nMethods\r\nIndirect ELISA and HBGA-blocking assay were used to detect NoV-specific IgG, IgA and HBGA-blocking antibodies in serum samples collected from healthy natural populations (n=839, aged from six months to 88 years old) in Guangzhou, Fuyang and Yantai. The results were statistically analyzed.\r\n\r\n\r\nResults\r\nThe total positive rates of NoV GⅠ.1- and GⅡ.4-specific IgG antibodies were 91.9% and 93.0%. The positive rates of GⅠ.1- and GⅡ.4-specific IgA antibodies were 48.6% and 75.6%, and the titers of HBGA-blocking antibodies to GⅠ.1 and GⅡ.4 norovirus were 5.04 (95%CI: 4.63-5.49) and 18.15 (95%CI: 16.11-20.44). The positive rates of IgG and IgA antibodies generally showed an increasing trend with age. The positive rates of GⅠ.1- and GⅡ.4-specific IgG antibodies ranged from 79.2% to 100.0% and 76.7% to 100.0% in different age groups. They were 81.7% and 85.0% in the age group of 0.5-\u003c1 year, 79.2% and 76.7% in the age group of 1-\u003c2 years, and 98.1% and 96.3% in the age group of 12-\u003c18 years, and maintained at 96% and 98% in the older age groups. The positive rates of GⅠ.1-specific IgA antibody ranged from 11.7% to 93.8% in different age groups and rapidly increased with age. It was 11.7% in the age group of 0.5-\u003c1 year, and reached 93.3% in people aged 45-\u003c60 years and 93.8% in people aged ≥60 years. The positive rates of GⅡ.4-specific IgA antibody ranged from 50.8% to 88.8% in different age groups with 50.8% in people aged 0.5-\u003c1 year, and 86.7%-90.7% in people aged 12-\u003c18 years and older. The titer of GⅠ.1 HBGA-blocking antibody generally increased with age. The antibody titer in populations aged 0.5-\u003c12 years old was lower than that in those aged 18 years and above (GMT: 2.98-4.07 vs 8.21-11.62, P\u003c0.001), and the titer in people of 12-\u003c18 years old was lower than that in those of 45 years old and above (GMT: 5.21 vs 11.03-11.62, P\u003c0.05). No obvious change with age was observed in the titer of GⅡ.4 HBGA-blocking antibody excepting the significant difference between populations of 2-\u003c5 and 22-\u003c45 years old (GMT: 26.73 vs 11.87, P\u003c0.01).\r\n\r\n\r\nConclusions\r\nThis study revealed the characteristics of serum NoV GⅠ.1- and GⅡ.4-specific IgG, IgA and HBGA blocking antibodies in populations of different age groups in central and eastern China through analyzing their positive rates and titers and provided preliminary seroepidemiological data for the development of NoV vaccines in China.\r\n\r\n\r\nKey words: \r\nNorovirus; Serum antibody; Receptor-blocking assay