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Infection and Immunity, December 1999, p. 6526-6532, Vol. 67, No. 12
Institute of Medicine, University of Bergen,
N-5021 Bergen, Norway,1 and Centre for
Applied Microbiology and Research, Salisbury SP4 0JG, United
Kingdom2
Received 19 April 1999/Returned for modification 15 June
1999/Accepted 31 August 1999
Patient serum opsonins against transferrin binding protein A+B
(TbpA+B) complexes from two Neisseria meningitidis strains (K454 and B16B6, with 85- and 68-kDa TbpB, respectively) were quantified by a functional phagocytosis and oxidative burst assay. TbpA+B complexes adsorbed to fluorescent beads were opsonized with
individual acute and convalescent sera from 40 patients infected by a
variety of meningococcal strains. Flow cytometric quantitation of
leukocyte phagocytosis products (PP) demonstrated that disease-induced serum opsonins recognized TbpA+B, and the highest anti-TbpA+B serum
opsonic activities were found between admission to hospital and 6 weeks
later. The PP values obtained with TbpA+B from strain B16B6
(PPB16B6) were higher than those obtained with TbpA+B from strain K454 (PPK454), with both acute and convalescent sera
(P < 0.0001), and correlated positively with higher
immunoglobulin G enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay titers against
TbpA+B from strain B16B6 than from strain K454 (P < 0.001). In spite of considerable variations between individuals,
significant correlations were found between the PPB16B6 and
PPK454 values, and the PP values did not depend on the
variability of the TbpB proteins of the disease-causing strains.
Simultaneously measured oxidative burst activity correlated closely
with the PP values. We conclude that highly cross-reactive anti-TbpA+B
serum opsonins are produced during meningococcal disease. The
anti-TbpA+B opsonic activities were not affected by the variability of
the TbpB proteins of the disease-causing strains, which further adds to
the evidence for the vaccine potential of meningococcal TbpA+B complexes.
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Human Opsonins Induced during Meningococcal Disease
Recognize Transferrin Binding Protein Complexes
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institute of
Medicine, University of Bergen, Haukeland University Hospital, N-5021 Bergen, Norway. Phone: (47) 55975000. Fax: (47) 55972950. E-mail: Anne.Lehmann{at}medb.uib.no.
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