Characterization of the Antibody Response in Vaccinated Mice Protected Against Coxsackievirus B3-Induced Myocarditis

Adolescent male CD-1 mice can be rendered resistant to coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3m)-induced myocarditis following inoculation as neonates with a single dose of a temperature-sensitive mutant virus (ts1), derived from the prototype parent virus (CVB3m). Previously, anti-CVB3 neutralizing antibodies were not detected in sera of adolescent ts1 vaccinees by a standard plaque-reduction assay (Gauntt et al 1983. Infect. Immun. 39:851). However, a more sensitive cytopathic effects-reduction assay permitted detection of low titers of anti-CVB3m neutralizing antibodies of the IgG class prior to challenge with CVB3m. Following CVB3m challenge, serum anti-CVB3m neutralizing antibody titers of ts1 vaccines declined on days 1-2 post-inoculation (p.i.) then increased over the next 6 days. The neutralizing antibodies were of both the IgG and IgM classes. Normal mice challenged with CVB3 did not produce detectable serum anti-CVB3m neutralizing antibody until day 4 p.i. and by 8 days p.i. the neutralizing antibody was only of the IgM class. Thus, adolescent murine ts1 vaccines mount a secondary antibody response to CVB3m in both neutralizing IgG and IgM, but resistance to CVB3m-induced myocarditis is due to the presence of low levels of anti-CVB3m IgG neutralizing antibody in serum at the time of challenge with CVB3m.