Passive Protection Experiments Research Articles

Ricin-Holotoxin-Based Vaccines: Induction of Potent Ricin-Neutralizing Antibodies.

Ricin is one of the most potent and lethal toxins known to which there is no available antidote. Currently, the most promising therapy is based on neutralizing antibodies elicited by active vaccination or given passively. Here, detailed protocols are provided for the production of two ricin holotoxin-based vaccines: monomerized subunit-based vaccine, and a formaldehyde-based ricin toxoid vaccine. Both vaccines were found to be stable with no toxic activity reversion even after long-term storage while eliciting high anti-ricin antibody titers possessing a potent neutralizing activity. The use of these vaccines is highly suitable for both the production of sera that can be used in passive protection experiments and immunization aimed to isolate potent anti-ricin monoclonal antibodies.

Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of recombinant Clostridium difficile flagellar protein FliC

Clostridium difficile is a Gram-positive bacillus and is the leading cause of toxin-mediated nosocomial diarrhea following antibiotic use. C. difficile flagella play a role in colonization, adherence, biofilm formation, and toxin production, which might contribute to the overall virulence of certain strains. Human and animal studies indicate that anti-flagella immune responses may play a role in protection against colonization by C. difficile and subsequent disease outcome. Here we report that recombinant C. difficile flagellin (FliC) is immunogenic and protective in a murine model of C. difficile infection (CDI) against a clinical C. difficile strain, UK1. Passive protection experiments using anti-FliC polyclonal serum in mice suggest this protection to be antibody-mediated. FliC immunization also was able to afford partial protection against CDI and death in hamsters following challenge with C. difficile 630Δerm. Additionally, immunization against FliC does not have an adverse effect on the normal gut flora of vaccinated hamsters as evidenced by comparing the fecal microbiome of vaccinated and control hamsters. Therefore, the use of FliC as a vaccine candidate against CDI warrants further testing.

Characterization of monoclonal antibodies to hepatitis E virus (HEV) capsid protein and identification of binding activity

Twenty-seven monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) recognizing the open reading frame 2 structural protein of the Pakistan strain of hepatitis E virus (HEV) were generated by conventional hybridoma technique. These Mabs were characterized by ELISA, affinity-capture reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (AC/RT-PCR), immune electron microscopy (IEM), and a RT-PCR based seroneutralization assay. Twenty-seven Mabs were positive by ELISA. By AC/RT-PCR, 24 Mabs bound to Pakistan and Namibia HEV strains. Thirteen Mabs were examined by IEM. Nine Mabs, positive by ELISA and AC/RT-PCR, bound and aggregated to Mexican HEV strain. We tested five Mabs that were positive by ELISA, AC/RT/PCR, and IEM by a RT-PCR based seroneutralization assay. Only one Mab (Mab 7) showed activity that inhibited the ability of HEV to attach to Alexander hepatoma cells (PLC-PRF-5). When Mab 7 was diluted to 1: 160, its inhibition activity persisted suggesting that Mab 7 might be a potential candidate for further evaluation in primates (passive protection experiments).

Immunogenicity of meningococcal PBP2 during natural infection and protective activity of anti-PBP2 antibodies against meningococcal bacteraemia in mice

To evaluate the immunogenicity of the meningococcal penicillin-binding protein 2 (PBP2) and its potential as a vaccine candidate. The immunogenicity of meningococcal PBP2 was investigated using acute and convalescent sera from patients who recovered from meningococcal disease. Sera were tested against purified recombinant PBP2s corresponding to meningococcal isolates of different genetic lineages, of different serogroups and with various susceptibility levels to penicillin G. Mice were vaccinated with recombinant PBP2 and challenged with Neisseria meningitidis. A purified anti-PBP2 rabbit IgG was also used for passive protection experiments in mice. Convalescent patients' sera recognized PBP2s from different strains, showing that this protein is immunogenic in meningococcal disease. Vaccination with purified recombinant PBP2 and purified anti-PBP2 rabbit IgG antibody conferred protection against experimental meningococcaemia in mice. These data argue for considering meningococcal PBP2 as a vaccine candidate.

A mycobacterial lipoarabinomannan specific monoclonal antibody and its F(ab') fragment prolong survival of mice infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) is a major structural carbohydrate antigen of the outer surface of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. High antibody titres against LAM are often seen in active tuberculosis (TB). The role of such LAM-specific antibodies in the immune response against TB is unknown. Here we have investigated a monoclonal antibody (MoAb) SMITB14 of IgG1 subclass and its corresponding F(ab')(2) fragment directed against LAM from M. tuberculosis strain H37Rv. MoAb SMITB14 was shown by immunofluorescence to bind to whole cells of the clinical isolate M. tuberculosis strain Harlingen as well as to M. tuberculosis H37Rv. The binding of MoAb SMITB14 to LAM was inhibited by arabinomannan (AM) and oligosaccharides (5.2 kDa) derived from LAM, showing that the MoAb binds specifically to the AM carbohydrate portion of LAM. In passive protection experiments BALB/c mice were infected intravenously with M. tuberculosis Harlingen. MoAb SMITB14 was added intravenously either prior to, or together with, the bacteria. The antibody proved to be protective against the M. tuberculosis infection in terms of a dose-dependent reduction in bacterial load in spleens and lungs, reduced weight loss and, most importantly, increased long-term survival.

Partial passive protection with two monoclonal antibodies and frequency of feeding of hyperimmune anti-transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) serum for protection of three-day-old piglets from a TGEV challenge infection.

Passive protection experiments were conducted to determine the frequency and amounts of hyperimmune antiserum needed to block a transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) challenge infection and to identify monoclonal antibodies that are partially protective against TGEV. Hyperimmune antiserum or monoclonal antibodies were added to milk at each feeding or at selected feedings when the amount of antiserum was reduced. Three-day-old piglets were challenged with virulent virus that had been preincubated with antiserum or monoclonal antibodies. The results indicated that supplementing antiserum every other day was not efficacious for protection. Supplementing even small quantities of hyperimmune antiserum (0.5 ml) at least once a day in most cases was sufficient for piglet survival but did not prevent morbidity. Increasing the amount (>2 ml) and providing antiserum 3 times/day completely blocked the TGEV challenge infection. Two monoclonal antibodies were discovered that also provided passive protection for baby pigs. One monoclonal antibody, 5G1, had a high neutralizing titer, and the other, 6C4, was more effective in neutralizing and binding to virulent TGEV than to attenuated TGEVs. Both of these monoclonal antibodies were partially effective as supplements in milk for passive protection. Furthermore, these monoclonal antibodies were useful for boosting the efficacy of TGEV-neutralizing colostrum, which by itself was ineffective. These results show that other antigenic sites, different from the 4-well characterized epitopes on the S glycoprotein of TGEV, also are important for passive protection.

N-Propionylated group B meningococcal polysaccharide glycoconjugate vaccine against group B meningococcal meningitis

Although group B Neisseria meningitidis is responsible for a significant amount of meningococcal meningitis, its capsular polysaccharide is precluded from the current vaccine because of its poor immunogenicity. This phenomenon is attributable to structural mimicry between the group B meningococcal polysaccharide (GBMP) and human tissue antigens. One simple way to avoid this problem is to use as a vaccine a synthetic N-propionylated (NPr) form of the GBMP, which when conjugated to tetanus toxoid (IT, induces, in mice, high titers of bactericidal antibodies against all group B meningococci. Fortuitously, the major population of NPr GBMP-specific antibodies, even though not cross-reactive with the GBMP, contains all the protective activity. Only a minor population of GBMP cross-reactive antibodies are produced, but even the level of these antibodies can be significantly reduced by adjuvant manipulation. Thus the NPr GBMP mimics a highly conserved capsule-associated epitope that could be the basis of a potential vaccine against group B meningitis. To further define this protective epitope, a series of GBMP-specific monoclonal antibodies of the IgG isotype were produced using an (NeuPr) ≈35−35TT conjugate vaccine. Unlike GBMP-specific antibodies, which recognize epitopes found only on the extended helical form, some of those secreted by the NPr GBMP-specific clones were also able to recognize short (random coil) segments of the NPr GBMP However, only those antibodies specific for the extended helical epitopes were protective as defined by bactericidal assays or passive protection experiments.

Active and passive immunization for tetrodotoxin in mice

This study describes the possibility of active and passive immunization for tetrodotoxin (TTX) poisoning. TTX was conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin and this conjugate was used as an immunogen in rabbits and mice. Mice immunized with the conjugate were protected from a lethal dose of TTX. Passive protection experiments demonstrated that immunglobulin from rabbit antiserum exhibited a dose-related therapeutic activity in mice after challenge with TTX.

Protective ability of antibodies against 78- and 40-kilodalton outer membrane antigens of Haemophilus somnus.

The ability of concentrated antibody against the 78- or 40-kilodalton (kDa) outer membrane protein (OMP) of Haemophilus somnus to passively protect calves against H. somnus-induced pneumonia was determined. The 78- and 40-kDa OMPs were evaluated in passive protection experiments, because results of previous studies demonstrated their (i) immunogenicity for cattle, (ii) intense reactivity with convalescent-phase sera which passively protected calves against experimental H. somnus pneumonia, (iii) surface location and accessibility to antibody, and (iv) conservation among a wide range of H. somnus isolates obtained from animals with different diseases and from different geographic locations. The specificity of the two antisera evaluated in this study was verified by (i) immunoblots in which reactivity against the 78- or 40-kDa OMP was present in postimmunization but not preimmunization serum and (ii) immunoblots in which affinity-purified, surface-reactive antibodies in each antisera were used, which demonstrated that essentially only antibody to the 78- or 40-kDa OMP was reactive with the surface of H. somnus. In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, the antiserum against the 40-kDa OMP contained immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1), IgG2, and IgM against H. somnus, while the antiserum against the 78-kDa OMP contained IgG1 and IgM but no IgG2 against H. somnus. The antiserum against the 40-kDa OMP contained IgG1 and IgG2 specific for the 40-kDa OMP, as determined by Western blot analysis. Slight reactivity against H. somnus lipopolysaccharide was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay but not by Western blot analysis. In passive protection experiments, preincubation of bacteria with antibody against the 40-kDa OMP protected calves (P less than 0.025) against H. somnus pneumonia, while antibody against the 78-kDa OMP failed to protect calves against H. somnus pneumonia. Determination of the potential protective capacity of the 78-kDa OMP awaits resolution of the role of anti-78-kDa IgG2 in protection against H. somnus pneumonia. The 40-kDa OMP is, however, a good candidate antigen for evaluation of protective ability against H. somnus pneumonia following active immunization.

Neutralization of yellow fever virus studied using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies.

Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies with known specificity for either the 54K envelope glycoprotein or the 48K non-structural glycoprotein of yellow fever (YF) virus-infected cells were studied in plaque reduction neutralization tests. Viruses employed in the tests comprised wild-type and vaccine strains of YF and a selection of other flaviviruses. Of 17 monoclonal antibodies examined, six of the 54K-specific antibodies neutralized at least one YF preparation. Both vaccine and wild-type YF viruses varied in their susceptibility to neutralization and there were also differences between individual 17D vaccine strains. The monoclonal antibodies produced a range of titres with the different viruses, the most potent, 864, leaving no non-neutralizable fraction. Addition of anti-globulin, complement or other antibodies did not affect the results. YF-neutralize antibodies which bound to other flaviviruses did not necessarily neutralize them; hence, neutralization could be defined as either homotypic, heterotypic or both homotypic and heterotypic. A polyclonal antiserum and a broadly reacting monoclonal antibody produced almost identical neutralization results in tests with wild-type YF viruses. In contrast, the polyclonal antiserum produced higher titres with vaccine strains of YF. In mouse passive protection experiments on the other hand, the monoclonal antibody did not differentiate between these viruses.

Purification and partial characterization of outer membrane proteins P5 and P6 from Haemophilus influenzae type b

The major outer membrane proteins of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), designated P5 and P6 (R.S. Munson, Jr., J.L. Shenep, S.J. Barenkamp, and D.M. Granoff, J. Clin. Invest. 72:677-684, 1983), were purified to homogeneity and partially characterized. P5 was insoluble in octylglucoside-NaCl and could be extracted with 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in 20 mM phosphate (pH 7.5). Solubilized P5 was further purified on hydroxylapatite in 0.1% SDS. The purified protein had an apparent molecular weight of 27,000 as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis after sample preparation at room temperature. The protein migrated with an apparent molecular weight of 35,000 after heating for 30 min at 100 degrees C in the presence of 10% beta-mercaptoethanol (beta ME). Rabbit antisera prepared against the purified preparation immunoprecipitated solubilized protein P5 but had no protective activity in the infant rat bacteremic model. The SDS-insoluble residue was further extracted with 1% SDS-0.5 M NaCl-0.1% beta ME at 37 degrees C. A single outer membrane protein, designated P6, with an apparent molecular weight of 16,000, remained insoluble under these conditions. Antiserum prepared against this insoluble fraction contained antibodies which, after removal of anti-lipopolysaccharide antibody, immunoprecipitated P6 and protected infant rats challenged with Hib. Protein P6 could be released from the insoluble cell wall in the presence of SDS-NaCl-beta ME at 60 degrees C. Thus, proteins P5 and P6 could be purified from the cell envelope of Hib. Based on the results from infant rat passive protection experiments, antigens in the P6-cell wall fraction merit further investigation as possible vaccine components. In contrast, epitopes on protein P5 did not appear to elicit protective antibody.

Monoclonal antibodies that protect in vivo against Plasmodium chabaudi recognize a 250,000-dalton parasite polypeptide.

Twenty monoclonal antibodies have been prepared to the erythrocytes from CBA/Ca mice infected with the rodent malaria Plasmodium chabaudi. By immunofluorescence, 15 of these antibodies recognized parasite antigens expressed only during the development of mature trophozoites to schizonts and merozoites, 2 recognized parasite antigens that were expressed throughout most of the intraerythrocytic cycle, and 3 recognized the membranes of all infected and uninfected erythrocytes. By immunoprecipitation of [35S]methionine-labeled, parasitized erythrocytes, parasite antigens recognized by all of the antiparasite antibodies were characterized. Eleven precipitated a 250,000-dalton parasite polypeptide which was synthesized and expressed late in the intraerythrocytic cell cycle and which appeared to be the major coat protein of the merozoites. In passive protection experiments, transfer of hyperimmune serum before infection with the parasite resulted in a delay in the rise of parasitemia, reduction in peak parasitemias, and a delay in the clearance of the parasitemia. Two monoclonal antibodies to the 250,000-dalton polypeptide had a similar but not as marked effect on parasitemia when given as a single dose before infection. When mixed and administered throughout the course of infection, their effects were greater. They had no influence on the course of Plasmodium berghei KSP11 parasitemia. Monoclonal antibodies to other parasite antigens and normal erythrocyte antigens failed to have a significant and reproducible effect on P. chabaudi parasitemia. The results suggest that this 250,000-dalton malaria parasite antigen may be important in the induction and expression of antibody-mediated immunity to malaria.

Serological and biological activities of anti-Haemophilus influenzae ribosomal serum.

The antibody content in serum from rabbits immunized with ribosomes from Haemophilus influenzae type b was determined by passive hemagglutination, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and complement fixation. Attempts to use passive hemagglutination to assay anti-ribosomal antibodies were unsuccessful. In the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests, rabbit antiserum was allowed to react with ribosomes that adhered to microtiter plates. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method detected, in two ribosome-immunized rabbits and by 3 days postimmunization, titers which rose to plateaus on days 24 to 31 and declined thereafter. With the complement fixation method, the serum from one immunized rabbit also showed a titer on day 3 and reached a plateau on days 20 to 31. Serum from the other immunized rabbit did not develop a titer until day 11; it reached a lower plateau on days 20 to 24 and then declined on days 27 to 55. Although there were no apparent differences between the two immunized rabbits by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, there were differences between the complement fixation antibodies in these rabbits. Passive protection experiments were performed with these sera. Maximal passive protection was achieved when mice were challenged intraperitoneally with 100 50% lethal doses of H. influenzae and immunized intravenously 1 h later with rabbit serum collected 27 days postimmunization. Rabbit anti-ribosomal sera were evaluated for bactericidal activity. Undiluted immune sera showed bactericidal activity; however, when diluted 1:10, activity was lost. Although bactericidal activities of immune sera were correlated to passive protection activities, it is unlikely that such protection was due to bactericidal antibodies. Immune serum had opsonizing activity since it enhanced phagocytosis of H. influenzae by mouse leukocytes.

Immunology of the infant rat experimental model of Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis

The age-related acquisition of serum anticapsular and bactericidal antibodies to Haemophilus influenzae type b observed in rats was similar to that of humans. The antigenic source for this "natural" immunity was not identified since neither pharyngeal infection with H. influenzae b nor enteric colonization by cross-reacting bacteria was detected. Infant rats surviving H. influenzae b bacteremia failed to respond immunologically to the capsular polysaccharide. However, surviving rats demonstrated no impairment of immune responsiveness to this antigen after subsequent immunization with live bacteria in adulthood. In passive protection experiments, antibodies directed against the type b capsular polysaccharide represented the major protective specificity. However, a small protective effect of antibodies to noncapsular antigens also appeared to have been demonstrated.

Biological properties of the encapsulated Staphylococcus aureus M.

Strain M, classified as a Staphylococcus aureus, behaves like the other rare encapsulated staphylococcal strains. It was clumping-factor negative, grew in diffuse-type colonies in serum-soft agar, and produced rapidly fatal disease in mice. Strain M was highly resistant to phagocytosis by human or mouse leukocytes and required both specific antibody and heat-labile serum factor(s) for efficient ingestion by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Electron micrographs confirmed the presence of a large capsule. Agglutination studies, active or passive mouse protection experiments, and opsonic studies revealed that strain M represents a new, immunologically distinct strain of encapsulated staphylococcus. Strain M differs from other known encapsulated staphylococci in several other respects: its cellular and colonial morphology is atypical; its LD(50) in the mouse peritoneal model is 100 times less than that of other mouse lethal strains; it is poorly opsonized by normal human serum; and, finally, it possesses an unusually large capsule as seen in electron micrographs.

Immunity to staphylococcal infection in mice: effect of living versus killed vaccine, role of circulating antibody, and induction of protection-inducing antigen(s) in vitro.

Mice immunized by sublethal doses of living Staphylococcus aureus strains other than the Smith diffuse strain were significantly more resistant to challenge with the Smith diffuse strain than animals immunized with heat-killed organisms. The increased resistance observed was shown, by appropriate passive protection experiments with immune mouse sera, to be due to circulating antibody, probably of the IgM class. In addition, it was observed that strains of S. aureus other than the Smith diffuse strain, when cultured in a modified Staphylococcus 110 broth but not in Brain Heart Infusion, were capable of absorbing protective antibody from hyperimmune rabbit antiserum.

Passive protection experiments with Brucella antisera.

SummaryA passive protection test with brucella antibodies, based on the spleen counts technique, has been described. This test has been found more sensitive than that based on lethal challenge.Normal human sera have been shown to possess marked protecting power.Protective activity of human sera was considerably increased following vaccination with living streptomycin-dependent brucellae, or after natural disease.The bearing of these findings on several brucellosis problems has been briefly discussed.The author wishes to express his thanks to Prof. A. L. Olitzki for constant advice and encouragement; to Dr H. V. Muhsam, Department of Statistics, the Hebrew University, for generous help in the statistical analysis; and to Miss R. Avraam for technical assistance.

THE QUANTITATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IMMUNE SERUM AND INFECTIVE DOSE OF PARASITES AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE PROTECTION TEST IN MONKEY MALARIA

The minimal infective dose of Plasmodium knowlesi for rhesus monkeys was found in this study to be between 1 and 10 parasites when injected intraperitoneally. As the dose of parasites is increased, the length of time prior to the appearance of circulating parasites is decreased. However, the severity of the infection once it is established is independent of the initial dose of parasites. In passive protection experiments a quantitative relationship was demonstrated between the number of parasites in the inoculum and the effective amount of immune serum given at the time of infection and in equal doses daily for 9 days thereafter. The smaller the inoculum, the less the quantity of immune serum required to prevent the death of the animal. When relatively large amounts of immune sera and small numbers of parasites were used in the protection experiment, infection was prevented.

A Study of the Comparative Value of Rough and Smooth Strains of B. Typhosus in the Preparation of Typhoid Vaccines

Abstract That prophylactic vaccination has been of the greatest value in reducing the incidence of typhoid fever, especially in military organizations under war conditions, as well as in times of peace, can hardly be questioned. The instances, however, of failure of such vaccination to protect against ordinary exposure to typhoid are sufficiently frequent to suggest that the present procedure is open to improvement. A number of writers (1) have, on the basis of active and passive protection experiments with laboratory animals, and also on theoretical grounds, pointed out the probable importance of selecting smooth, virulent strains of the organisms used in preparing the vaccines. Larkum (2) obtained six strains of B. typhosus “Rawlins” used by different laboratories in the preparation of vaccines and found that five of them were non-virulent rough strains.

ANTIGENIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MATT HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCI AND THEIR GLOSSY VARIANTS

The matt and the glossy forms of four strains of hemolytic streptococci were used to immunize rabbits. Precipitin tests showed that rabbit sera prepared against matt organisms, whether virulent or avirulent for mice, contained type-specific antibody while sera prepared against completely degraded glossy organisms contained no type-specific antibody. Type-specific antibody was removed from the sera by absorption with homologous matt organisms but was unaffected by absorption with homologous glossy organisms. Passive protection experiments on mice showed that anti-matt sera were protective and anti-glossy sera non-protective against infection with homologous virulent organisms. Vaccination of mice with matt organisms rendered them immune to subsequent infection with homologous virulent cultures; but vaccination with glossy organisms established no active immunity.