Maternal antibodies shape infant immune response development in an epitope-specific manner.

BACKGROUND

The antibody repertoire in the blood encodes a comprehensive record of an individual's immunological encounters. Knowing the individuality of the repertoire would benefit in vaccinations, and also in personalising treatments. Formation of the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody repertoire starts before birth.

METHODS

Here, we used a mimotope variation analysis (MVA) method to gain deeper insight into the repertoire of maternal antibodies actively transferred to newborns during pregnancy with the follow-up at 6 months.

FINDINGS: Our study of 25 mothers and their neonates highlighted the strong correlation between maternal and neonatal antibody levels with comparable antigen-specificity shortly after birth. However, a noticeable blunting or interference in the antibody response was observed at the epitope level, revealing distinct patterns of recognition of antigenic determinants between mothers and their infants at 6 months, particularly concerning common latent viral infections like cytomegalovirus (CMV).

INTERPRETATION: Comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of placental IgG antibody transmission is essential for effectively leveraging and manipulating these mechanisms to benefit newborn health.

FUNDING: This research was supported by funds from the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, the Estonian Research Council and by grants from the EU's HE programme.