Rhinovirus neutralizing antibody in tears, parotid saliva, nasal secretions and serum.

Abstract

Summary Virus neutralization studies were performed on tears, parotid secretions, nasal secretions, and serum obtained from 13 volunteers infected with rhinovirus 15. Neutralizing activity appeared in tears from 9 volunteers, in parotid saliva from 8 volunteers, in nasal secretions from 10 volunteers, and in serum from 13 volunteers. Studies with four volunteers revealed that neutralizing activity was detected first in serum; then and simultaneously in tears, parotid saliva and nasal secretions. Sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation studies of specimens from two volunteers revealed that the predominant immunoglobulin in all three secretions was IgA and that in each secretion this immunoglobulin was associated with neutralizing activity. Although rhinovirus 15 was repeatedly recovered from nasal secretion specimens from each volunteer, none of the tear or parotid saliva specimens contained virus. Studies with an additional eight volunteers demonstrated that rhinovirus 15 could not be recovered from blood specimens obtained during incubation period, maximum virus shedding from the nasopharynx, or recovery.