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Infection and Immunity, December 2003, p. 6884-6891, Vol. 71, No. 12
0019-9567/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.71.12.6884-6891.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Human Antibodies Specific for the High-Molecular-Weight Adhesion Proteins of Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Mediate Opsonophagocytic Activity

Department of Pediatrics, St. Louis University School of Medicine, and the Pediatric Research Institute, Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri 63104

Received 20 May 2003/ Returned for modification 20 June 2003/ Accepted 10 September 2003

The HMW1- and HMW2-like adhesion proteins of nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae are expressed by 75% of these strains, and antibodies directed against these proteins are protective in animal models of infection. The purpose of the present study was to define the functional activity of human antibodies specific for these proteins in an in vitro complement-dependent opsonophagocytic assay. Human promyelocytic cell line HL-60 served as the source of phagocytic cells, and a commercial preparation of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) served as the source of human antibodies. High-molecular-weight (HMW) proteins were purified from four prototype nontypeable H. influenzae strains and used to prepare solid-phase affinity columns. IVIG was adsorbed on each column to remove strain-specific anti-HMW antibodies and to allow recovery of affinity-purified anti-HMW antibody fractions. Unadsorbed IVIG killed each of the prototype strains at titers of 1:80 to 1:320. HMW-adsorbed sera demonstrated fourfold decreases in opsonophagocytic titer against the homologous strains compared to unadsorbed IVIG. Affinity-purified anti-HMW antibody preparations demonstrated opsonophagocytic titers of 1:20 to 1:80 against the respective homologous strains and opsonophagocytic titers as high as 1:80 against heterologous strains. None of the affinity-purified anti-HMW antibody preparations was opsonophagocytic for a representative nontypeable H. influenzae strain that did not express HMW1- or HMW2-like proteins. These data demonstrate that human antibodies specific for the HMW1/HMW2-like adhesion proteins of nontypeable H. influenzae are opsonophagocytic and that such antibodies recognize epitopes shared by the HMW proteins of unrelated nontypeable H. influenzae strains. These results argue for continued investigation of the HMW1/HMW2-like proteins as potential vaccine candidates for prevention of disease due to nontypeable H. influenzae.

Editor: J. N. Weiser

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Winter, L. E., Barenkamp, S. J. (2006). Antibodies Specific for the High-Molecular-Weight Adhesion Proteins of Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Are Opsonophagocytic for both Homologous and Heterologous Strains. CVI 13: 1333-1342 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
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