Maternal Secretor Status Affects Oral Rotavirus Vaccine Response in Breastfed Infants in Bangladesh
Frank B. Williams, Md Abdul Kader, E. Ross Colgate, Dorothy M. Dickson, Marya P. Carmolli, Muhammad Ikhtear Uddin, Salma Sharmin, Shahidul Islam, Taufiqur Rahman Bhuiyan, Masud Alam, Uma Nayak, Josyf C. Mychaleckyj, William A. Petri, Rashidul Haque, Firdausi Qadri, Beth D. Kirkpatrick, Benjamin Lee
Abstract
Secretor status controls mucosal histo-blood group antigen expression and is associated with susceptibility to rotavirus (RV) diarrhea, with nonsecretors less susceptible to symptomatic infection. The role of breast milk secretor status on oral live-attenuated RV vaccine response in breastfed infants has not been explored. In a monovalent G1P[8] RV vaccine (Rotarix) trial in Bangladesh, RV-specific plasma immunoglobulin A antibody seroconversion rates were higher among infants of maternal nonsecretors (39%) than infants of maternal secretors (23%; P = .001). Maternal status remained a significant predictor when correcting for infant status (P = .002). Maternal secretor status should be considered when interpreting oral RV vaccine responses in low- and middle-income settings. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT01375647.