Detection of rubella-specific serum IgG and IgA and nasopharyngeal IgA responses using a radioactive single radial immunodiffusion technique.

A radioactive, single radial immunodiffusion technique (RSRID) employing 125I-labelled antiglobulins, was developed to determine rubella-specific serum IgG and IgA and nasopharyngeal IgA antibody responses following both naturally acquired rubella and vaccination with four attenuated vaccines. Rubella-specific IgG antibodies developed in parallel with haemagglutination inhibiting (HAI) antibodies and both persisted for at least a year in all cases of naturally acquired and vaccine induced infection. However, the RSRID test detected rises in titre in all of five volunteers challenged intranasally with RA27/3, whereas only one volunteer showed a rise by HAI. Serum IgA antibodies generally persisted for at least a year following naturally acquired infection but rubella vaccines induced variable responses. Thus, following administration of RA27/3 and To-336 vaccines, rubella-specific IgA usually persisted for a year, whereas Cendehill vaccine failed to induce a detectable response. Rubella-specific nasopharyngeal IgA was detected in all five patients following naturally acquired infection and was still present in the only two patients tested a year after infection. These antibodies were detected in fourteen of twenty-three vaccinees at 3 weeks, but persisted for a year in only two vaccinees, both of whom were given RA27/3 intranasally.