Abstract

Transplacental transfer of RSV antibody in Australian First Nations infants

Homaira N, Binks M, Walker G, Larter N, Clark K, Campbell M, McHugh L, Briggs N, Nyiro J, Stelzer-Braid S, Hu N, Macartney K, Snelling T, Omer SB, Rawlinson W, Andrews R, Jaffe A
J Med Virol. 2022;94

Permenent descriptor
https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.27383


Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of acute lower respiratory infection hospitalisations in Aboriginal infants specifically those aged <6 months. Maternally derived RSV antibody (Ab) can protect against severe RSV disease in infancy. However, the efficiency of transplacental transfer of maternal anti-RSV Ab remains unknown in Aboriginal infants. We characterised RSV Ab in Australian First Nations mother-infant pairs (n = 78). We investigated impact of covariates including low birthweight, gestational age (GA), sex of the baby, maternal age and multiparity of the mother on cord to maternal anti-RSV Ab titre ratio (CMTR) using multivariable logistic regression model. All (n = 78) but one infant was born full term (median GA: 39 weeks, interquartile range: 38-40 weeks) and 56% were males. The mean log2 RSV Ab titre was 10.7 (SD+/- 1.3) in maternal serum and 11.0 (SD +/- 1.3) in cord serum at birth; a ratio of 1.02 (SD +/- 0.06). One-third of the pairs had a CMTR of <1 indicating impaired transfer. Almost 9% (7/78) of the term infants had cord RSV Ab levels below