This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lomholt, H Articles by Kilian, M Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lomholt, H Articles by Kilian, M

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infect Immun. 1993 November; 61(11): 4575-4581

Antigenic variation of immunoglobulin A1 proteases among sequential isolates of Haemophilus influenzae from healthy children and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Aarhus, Denmark.

ABSTRACT

Considerable antigenic heterogeneity has been identified among Haemophilus influenzae immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) proteases, and this study increases the number of antigenic types to more than 30. To address the role played in vivo by this polymorphism, sequential H. influenzae isolates from three healthy children and three patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were examined. Healthy children showed a frequent clonal exchange, with each replacing clone expressing an antigenic type of IgA1 protease not previously encountered. In contrast, COPD patients were colonized by a single clone for a significantly longer period. In one COPD clone, a change occurred in IgA1 protease cleavage specificity and antigenic properties. In conclusion, frequent exchange of clones expressing antigenically different IgA1 proteases seems to be the principal mechanism by which H. influenzae evades the immune response of healthy children against IgA1 protease. The results support the view that IgA1 protease activity is important for successful colonization of H. influenzae on mucosal membranes.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Giufre, M., Muscillo, M., Spigaglia, P., Cardines, R., Mastrantonio, P., Cerquetti, M. (2006). Conservation and Diversity of HMW1 and HMW2 Adhesin Binding Domains among Invasive Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Isolates. Infect. Immun. 74: 1161-1170 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Henderson, I. R., Navarro-Garcia, F., Desvaux, M., Fernandez, R. C., Ala'Aldeen, D. (2004). Type V Protein Secretion Pathway: the Autotransporter Story. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 68: 692-744 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• van Schilfgaarde, M., van Ulsen, P., Eijk, P., Brand, M., Stam, M., Kouame, J., van Alphen, L., Dankert, J. (2000). Characterization of Adherence of Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae to Human Epithelial Cells. Infect. Immun. 68: 4658-4665 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Senior, B. W., Dunlop, J. I., Batten, M. R., Kilian, M., Woof, J. M. (2000). Cleavage of a Recombinant Human Immunoglobulin A2 (IgA2)-IgA1 Hybrid Antibody by Certain Bacterial IgA1 Proteases. Infect. Immun. 68: 463-469 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gilsdorf, J. R. (1998). Antigenic Diversity and Gene Polymorphisms in Haemophilus influenzae. Infect. Immun. 66: 5053-5059 [Full Text]  
• McCrea, K. W., St. Sauver, J. L., Marrs, C. F., Clemans, D., Gilsdorf, J. R. (1998). Immunologic and Structural Relationships of the Minor Pilus Subunits among Haemophilus influenzae Isolates. Infect. Immun. 66: 4788-4796 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Foxwell, A. R., Kyd, J. M., Cripps, A. W. (1998). Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae: Pathogenesis and Prevention. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 62: 294-308 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Clemans, D. L., Marrs, C. F., Patel, M., Duncan, M., Gilsdorf, J. R. (1998). Comparative Analysis of Haemophilus influenzae hifA (Pilin) Genes. Infect. Immun. 66: 656-663 [Abstract] [Full Text]