Pacyna, J., Roberton, E.S., Terry, S., Siwek, K., Davidson, G.P. and Johnson, R.B. Northfield Laboratories Pty Ltd. Adelaide, South Australia
Journal of the European Federation of Immunological Society, Volume 69, Number 1, June15, 1999
10th International Congress of Mucosal Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, June 27th – July 1st 1999

ABSTRACT:

While several groups have demonstrated that hyperimmune bovine colostrum (HBC) can prevent rotavirus diarrhoea in young children little is known about the survival of bovine antibody in the human gastrointestinal tract or the duration of passive protection conferred after oral ingestion. In a previous clinical trial, anti-rotavirus activity was detected in diarrhoeal stools from children receiving a HBC supplemented milk product. The aim of this study was to monitor the level of anti-rotavirus activity in the stools of healthy children given between 5-15% HBC supplemented milk for a period of six days. Anti-rotavirus activity was measured using a competitive assay in which 10% faecal extracts were used to block the detection of rotavirus in an antigen capture ELISA. ELISA activity correlated with neutralisation activity. Anti-viral activity was detected in faeces as early as eight hours after ingestion and up to 48 hours after the last dose was taken. Although 90% of the children receiving HBC had detectable levels of anti-rotavirus activity in their stools, the level of activity in individual stools varied considerably In general, faecal samples from children receiving the 5% HBC were able to mask up to 5 x10 6/mL; while those receiving 10% or more HBC supplementation were able to mask higher doses of rotavirus up to 5 x10 7/mL. Given the limitation of community base study there appears to be a linear relationship between the concentration of HBC ingested and the anti-rotavirus activity in the faeces. In conclusion, these results provide further evidence that orally administered bovine antibodies retain anti-rotaviral activity after passage through the gastrointestinal tract.