Identification of and human serum reactogenicity to neutralizing epitopes within the central unglycosylated region of the respiratory syncytial virus attachment protein

We identified two overlapping neutralizing epitopes within residues 151 to 172 of the central unglycosylated region of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) attachment protein. In approximately 40% of hospitalized and outpatient adults infected with RSV subtype A, these contiguous residues are the target of > or =4-fold increases in IgG response between acute- and convalescent-phase sera.