Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2016 Aug 5;23(8):717-24. doi: 10.1128/CVI.00107-16. Print 2016 Aug.

Human Survivors of Disease Outbreaks Caused by Ebola or Marburg Virus Exhibit Cross-Reactive and Long-Lived Antibody Responses.

Natesan M¹, Jensen SM², Keasey SL², Kamata T², Kuehne AI³, Stonier SW³, Lutwama JJ⁴, Lobel L⁵, Dye JM³, Ulrich RG⁶.

Author information

1: Molecular and Translational Sciences, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland, USA mohan.natesan.ctr@mail.mil robert.g.ulrich.civ@mail.mil.
2: Molecular and Translational Sciences, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland, USA.
3: Virology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland, USA.
4: Department of Arbovirology, Emerging and Re-emerging Infection, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda.
5: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
6: Molecular and Translational Sciences, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland, USA Virology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland, USA mohan.natesan.ctr@mail.mil robert.g.ulrich.civ@mail.mil.

Abstract

A detailed understanding of serological immune responses to Ebola and Marburg virus infections will facilitate the development of effective diagnostic methods, therapeutics, and vaccines. We examined antibodies from Ebola or Marburg survivors 1 to 14 years after recovery from disease, by using a microarray that displayed recombinant nucleoprotein (NP), viral protein 40 (VP40), envelope glycoprotein (GP), and inactivated whole virions from six species of filoviruses. All three outbreak cohorts exhibited significant antibody responses to antigens from the original infecting species and a pattern of additional filoviruses that varied by outbreak. NP was the most cross-reactive antigen, while GP was the most specific. Antibodies from survivors of infections by Marburg marburgvirus (MARV) species were least cross-reactive, while those from survivors of infections by Sudan virus (SUDV) species exhibited the highest cross-reactivity. Based on results revealed by the protein microarray, persistent levels of antibodies to GP, NP, and VP40 were maintained for up to 14 years after infection, and survival of infection caused by one species imparted cross-reactive antibody responses to other filoviruses.