Recovery from colonic infection elicits serum IgG antibodies to specific Serpulina pilosicoli outer membrane antigens (SPOMA).

Abstract

Colonic spirochetosis caused by S. pilosicoli is a disease of human and animals characterized by intimate attachment of the spirochete to colonic epithelial cells and colitis. To identify antigens that are potentially involved in recovery from the disease, whole-cell lysate (WC) and various detergent extracts including Sarkosyl-soluble (SS) and insoluble (SI), and Triton X-114 detergent phase (TXD) and aqueous phase (TXA) of the human isolate SP16 were examined by Western blotting with Serpulina spp. periplasmic flagellar protein FlaB-specific monoclonal antibody 7G2 as well as pooled pre-immune serum (PS), hyperimmune serum (HS), and convalescent serum (CS) from swine. The HS reacted with several antigens that were not identified by the CS, including the periplasmic flagellar proteins and some lower molecular weight bands. The CS identified three major immunoreactive double (D) or single (S) bands of approximately: (i) 64-kDa in the WC(S), SS(D), and TXD/A(S), (ii) 54-kDa in the WC(S), SS/I(S), and TXD(S), and (iii) 47-kDa in the SS(S) fraction. The data indicate recovery from colonic infection elicits serum IgG antibodies to specific S. pilosicoli outer membrane antigens (SPOMA).