Sustained maternal antibody and cellular immune responses in pregnant women infected with Zika virus and mother to infant transfer of Zika-specific antibodies

Abstract

Problem: Evaluation of Zika virus (ZIKV)-specific humoral and cellular immune response in pregnant women exposed to ZIKV.

Method of study: In this observational, prospective cohort study, we recruited pregnant women presenting for prenatal ultrasound for ZIKV exposure at a single academic teaching hospital in Boston, MA from November 2016 to December 2018. We collected blood, urine, and cervicovaginal swabs antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum; and cord blood and placenta at delivery. We used experimental assays to calculate quantitative viral loads, ZIKV-specific immunoglobulin titers, and ZIKV-specific T-cell responses.

Results: We enrolled 22 participants, three of which had serologic-confirmed ZIKV infection. No participants demonstrated sustained ZIKV shedding. ZIKV-specific IgG/IgM antibody was sustained throughout pregnancy and postpartum. ZIKV envelope and capsid-specific T-cell responses were also observed, albeit inconsistent. No newborns in this cohort had congenital Zika syndrome. Infant cord blood of infected mothers exhibited ZIKV-specific IgG, but not IgM antibodies.

Conclusion: We detected a robust, prolonged maternal humoral immune response to ZIKV during pregnancy and postpartum. We also demonstrated evidence for efficient transplacental antibody transfer from mother to infant at birth, supporting the importance of neonatal passive immunity to ZIKV. Maternal T-cell responses were less consistent among pregnant women infected with ZIKV.

Keywords: Zika virus; congenital infection; maternal immune response; pregnancy; transplacental transfer.