Human survivors of disease outbreaks caused by Ebola or Marburg viruses exhibit cross-reactive and long-lived antibody responses
A detailed understanding of serological immune responses to Ebola and Marburg virus infections will facilitate the development of effective diagnostic methods, therapeutics and vaccines. We examined antibodies from Ebola or Marburg survivors 1-14 years after recovery from disease, by using a microarray that displayed recombinant nucleoprotein (NP), viral protein 40 (VP40), envelope glycoprotein (GP), and inactivated whole virions from six species of filoviruses. All three outbreak cohorts exhibited significant antibody responses to antigens from the original infecting species and a pattern of additional filoviruses that varied by outbreak. NP was the most cross-reactive antigen while GP was the most specific. Antibodies from MARV survivors were least cross-reactive, while the SUDV survivors exhibited the highest cross-reactivity. Based on results revealed by the protein microarray, persistent levels of antibodies to GP, NP and VP40 were maintained for up to 14 years after infection, and survival from infection caused by one species imparted cross-reactive antibody responses to other filoviruses.