Skip to main content
PMC home page
Clinical and Experimental Immunology logoLink to Clinical and Experimental Immunology
. 1989 Jul;77(1):144–150.

Kinetics of pathogen-specific humoral response in Treponema pallidum-infected young and old inbred strain 2 guinea pigs.

V Wicher 1, J Zabek 1, K Wicher 1
PMCID: PMC1541908  PMID: 2670347

Abstract

The kinetics of the humoral response to pathogen-specific polypeptides was examined in Treponema pallidum-infected young (3-5 months old) and old (10-20 months old) inbred strain-2 guinea pigs. Sera collected before and at various times after infection were pooled and examined by immunoblotting and two serologic tests (ELISA and FTA) before and after sequential adsorption with CNBr-activated sepharose coupled to normal rabbit proteins and antigens from five nonpathogenic treponemal species. Prior to adsorption the kinetics of the humoral response to T. pallidum antigens did not seem to differ significantly between the two groups. After adsorption, however, a delay in the appearance of detectable antibodies and a milder response to various pathogen-specific polypeptides was observed in the older group. After adsorption, a sharp drop in ELISA-TP, ELISA-TR and FTA titres occurred in both groups. Six months post-infection, between 9 and 10 pathogen-specific polypeptides (97, 57, 47, 45, 43, 39, 37, 33, 17 and 15 kD) were recognized by both groups. The effect of age and levels of natural treponemal antibodies on the clinical symptoms of primary lesions and humoral response to pathogen-specific polypeptides is discussed.

Full text

PDF
148

Images in this article

146Fig. 1
on p.146
148Fig. 3
on p.148

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alderete J. F., Baseman J. B. Surface characterization of virulent Treponema pallidum. Infect Immun. 1980 Dec;30(3):814–823. doi: 10.1128/iai.30.3.814-823.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Alderete J. F., Baseman J. B. Surface-associated host proteins on virulent Treponema pallidum. Infect Immun. 1979 Dec;26(3):1048–1056. doi: 10.1128/iai.26.3.1048-1056.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Baughn R. E., Wicher V., Jakubowski A., Wicher K. Humoral response in Treponema pallidum-infected guinea pigs. II. Circulating immune complexes and autoimmune responses. J Immunol. 1987 Jun 15;138(12):4435–4440. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bishop N. H., Miller J. N. Humoral immunity in experimental syphilis. II. The relationship of neutralizing factors in immune serum to acquired resistance. J Immunol. 1976 Jul;117(1):197–207. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Blanco D. R., Champion C. I., Miller J. N., Lovett M. A. Antigenic and structural characterization of Treponema pallidum (Nichols strain) endoflagella. Infect Immun. 1988 Jan;56(1):168–175. doi: 10.1128/iai.56.1.168-175.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Blanco D. R., Radolf J. D., Lovett M. A., Miller J. N. Correlation of treponemicidal activity in normal human serum with the presence of IgG antibody directed against polypeptides of Treponema phagedenis biotype Reiter and Treponema pallidum, Nichols strain. J Immunol. 1986 Sep 15;137(6):2031–2036. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Blanco D. R., Radolf J. D., Lovett M. A., Miller J. N. The antigenic interrelationship between the endoflagella of Treponema phagedenis biotype Reiter and Treponema pallidum Nichols strain. I. Treponemicidal activity of cross-reactive endoflagellar antibodies against T. pallidum. J Immunol. 1986 Nov 1;137(9):2973–2979. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fitzgerald T. J., Repesh L. A., Blanco D. R., Miller J. N. Attachment of Treponema pallidum to fibronectin, laminin, collagen IV, and collagen I, and blockage of attachment by immune rabbit IgG. Br J Vener Dis. 1984 Dec;60(6):357–363. doi: 10.1136/sti.60.6.357. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Fitzgerald T. J., Repesh L. A. Interactions of fibronectin with Treponema pallidum. Genitourin Med. 1985 Jun;61(3):147–155. doi: 10.1136/sti.61.3.147. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Graves S., Drummond L., Strugnell R. Immunization of rabbits with Spirochaeta aurantia does not induce resistance to Treponema pallidum. Sex Transm Dis. 1984 Jan-Mar;11(1):1–5. doi: 10.1097/00007435-198401000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hanff P. A., Bishop N. H., Miller J. N., Lovett M. A. Humoral immune response in experimental syphilis to polypeptides of Treponema pallidum. J Immunol. 1983 Oct;131(4):1973–1977. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hanff P. A., Fehniger T. E., Miller J. N., Lovett M. A. Humoral immune response in human syphilis to polypeptides of Treponema pallidum. J Immunol. 1982 Sep;129(3):1287–1291. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hensel U., Wellensiek H. J., Bhakdi S. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis immunoblotting as a serological tool in the diagnosis of syphilitic infections. J Clin Microbiol. 1985 Jan;21(1):82–87. doi: 10.1128/jcm.21.1.82-87.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Izzat N. N., Dacres W. G., Knox J. M., Wende R. Attempts at immunization against syphilis with avirulent Treponemma pallidum. Br J Vener Dis. 1970 Dec;46(6):451–453. doi: 10.1136/sti.46.6.451. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Jakubowski A., Wicher V., Gruhn R., Wicher K. Natural antibodies to treponemal antigens in four strains of guinea-pigs. Immunology. 1987 Feb;60(2):281–285. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lukehart S. A., Baker-Zander S. A., Gubish E. R., Jr Identification of Treponema pallidum antigens: comparison with a nonpathogenic treponeme. J Immunol. 1982 Aug;129(2):833–838. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. MILLER J. N., WHANG S. J., FAZZAN F. P. STUDIES ON IMMUNITY IN EXPERIMENTAL SYPHILIS. I. IMMUNOLOGIC RESPONSE OF RABBITS IMMUNIZED WITH REITER PROTEIN ANTIGEN AND CHALLENGED WITH VIRULENT TREPONEMA PALLIDUM. Br J Vener Dis. 1963 Sep;39:195–198. doi: 10.1136/sti.39.3.195. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Moskophidis M., Müller F. Molecular analysis of immunoglobulins M and G immune response to protein antigens of Treponema pallidum in human syphilis. Infect Immun. 1984 Jan;43(1):127–132. doi: 10.1128/iai.43.1.127-132.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Peterson K. M., Baseman J. B., Alderete J. F. Treponema pallidum receptor binding proteins interact with fibronectin. J Exp Med. 1983 Jun 1;157(6):1958–1970. doi: 10.1084/jem.157.6.1958. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. TURNER T. B., NELSON R. A., Jr The relationship of treponemal immobilizing antibody to immunity in syphilis. Trans Assoc Am Physicians. 1950;63:112–117. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Thomas D. D., Baseman J. B., Alderete J. F. Putative Treponema pallidum cytadhesins share a common functional domain. Infect Immun. 1985 Sep;49(3):833–835. doi: 10.1128/iai.49.3.833-835.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Weber K., Osborn M. The reliability of molecular weight determinations by dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. J Biol Chem. 1969 Aug 25;244(16):4406–4412. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Wicher K., Jakubowski A., Wicher V. Humoral response in Treponema pallidum-infected guinea pigs: I. Antibody specificity. Clin Exp Immunol. 1987 Aug;69(2):263–270. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Wicher K., Wicher V., Gruhn R. F. Differences in susceptibility to infection with Treponema pallidum (Nichols) between five strains of guinea pig. Genitourin Med. 1985 Feb;61(1):21–26. doi: 10.1136/sti.61.1.21. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Wicher K., Wicher V., Jakubowski A., Gruhn R. Factors affecting the clinical course of Treponema pallidum infection in guinea pigs. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1988;85(2):252–256. doi: 10.1159/000234512. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Wicher V., Wicher K., Jakubowski A., Nakeeb S. M. Adoptive transfer of immunity to Treponema pallidum Nichols infection in inbred strain 2 and C4D guinea pigs. Infect Immun. 1987 Oct;55(10):2502–2508. doi: 10.1128/iai.55.10.2502-2508.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Wos S. M., Wicher K. Extensive cross reactivity between Treponema pallidum and cultivable treponemes demonstrated by sequential immunoadsorption. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1986;79(3):282–285. doi: 10.1159/000233987. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Clinical and Experimental Immunology are provided here courtesy of British Society for Immunology

RESOURCES