Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1994 Apr;62(4):1437–1443. doi: 10.1128/iai.62.4.1437-1443.1994

Humoral immune response to class 1 outer membrane protein during the course of meningococcal disease.

H K Guttormsen 1, L M Wetzler 1, C O Solberg 1
PMCID: PMC186299  PMID: 8132350

Abstract

We have determined the amounts of specific anti-class 1 outer membrane protein antibodies in sera from 25 patients during the course of systemic meningococcal disease, using purified class 1 protein as the sensitizing antigen in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The class 1 protein was obtained from a variant of strain 44/76 (B:15:P1.7,16) lacking class 3 and class 4 outer membrane proteins. Specific anti-class 1 (serosubtype P1.7,16) outer membrane protein immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels increased significantly in 12 patients (12 of 25; 48%), regardless of the serotype of the infecting strain, indicating that the antibodies reacted in part with epitopes not determined by the monoclonal antibodies used for serotyping. Most patients had low levels of anti-class 1 IgG antibodies during the acute illness. The antibody levels peaked during the second week of disease and returned to near baseline levels in sera collected 6 weeks to 12 months after the onset of the disease. The majority of the specific anti-class 1 IgG antibodies bound to surface-exposed epitopes on whole bacteria and belonged to the IgG1 and IgG3 subclasses. Anti-class 1 IgA and IgM antibodies were not detected in any of the patient sera. Prior to disease, seven patients had been immunized with a meningococcal outer membrane vesicle vaccine developed from strain 44/76 (P1.7,16). None of these patients was infected with meningococcal strains containing class 1 protein homologous or partly homologous to that of the vaccine strain, indicating serosubtype-specific protection. The highest anti-class 1 IgG antibody peak levels were seen in immunized patients infected with strains of heterologous serotype, suggesting an anamnestic response. However, these patients were not protected from meningococcal disease after immunization.

Full text

PDF
1438

Images in this article

1438Image
on p.1438

Selected References

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

  1. Bjune G., Høiby E. A., Grønnesby J. K., Arnesen O., Fredriksen J. H., Halstensen A., Holten E., Lindbak A. K., Nøkleby H., Rosenqvist E. Effect of outer membrane vesicle vaccine against group B meningococcal disease in Norway. Lancet. 1991 Nov 2;338(8775):1093–1096. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(91)91961-s. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Blake M. S., Gotschlich E. C. Purification and partial characterization of the major outer membrane protein of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Infect Immun. 1982 Apr;36(1):277–283. doi: 10.1128/iai.36.1.277-283.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Blake M. S., MacDonald C. M., Klugman K. P. Colony morphology of piliated Neisseria meningitidis. J Exp Med. 1989 Nov 1;170(5):1727–1736. doi: 10.1084/jem.170.5.1727. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brodeur B. R., Larose Y., Tsang P., Hamel J., Ashton F., Ryan A. Protection against infection with Neisseria meningitidis group B serotype 2b by passive immunization with serotype-specific monoclonal antibody. Infect Immun. 1985 Nov;50(2):510–516. doi: 10.1128/iai.50.2.510-516.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Crowe B. A., Wall R. A., Kusecek B., Neumann B., Olyhoek T., Abdillahi H., Hassan-King M., Greenwood B. M., Poolman J. T., Achtman M. Clonal and variable properties of Neisseria meningitidis isolated from cases and carriers during and after an epidemic in The Gambia, West Africa. J Infect Dis. 1989 Apr;159(4):686–700. doi: 10.1093/infdis/159.4.686. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Davies R. L., Wall R. A., Borriello S. P. Comparison of methods for the analysis of outer membrane antigens of Neisseria meningitidis by western blotting. J Immunol Methods. 1990 Dec 5;134(2):215–225. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(90)90383-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Frasch C. E., Zollinger W. D., Poolman J. T. Serotype antigens of Neisseria meningitidis and a proposed scheme for designation of serotypes. Rev Infect Dis. 1985 Jul-Aug;7(4):504–510. doi: 10.1093/clinids/7.4.504. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Guttormsen H. K., Wetzler L. M., Naess A. Humoral immune response to the class 3 outer membrane protein during the course of meningococcal disease. Infect Immun. 1993 Nov;61(11):4734–4742. doi: 10.1128/iai.61.11.4734-4742.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hammarström L., Smith C. I. IgG subclasses in bacterial infections. Monogr Allergy. 1986;19:122–133. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Jones D. M., Borrow R., Fox A. J., Gray S., Cartwright K. A., Poolman J. T. The lipooligosaccharide immunotype as a virulence determinant in Neisseria meningitidis. Microb Pathog. 1992 Sep;13(3):219–224. doi: 10.1016/0882-4010(92)90022-g. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Klugman K. P., Gotschlich E. C., Blake M. S. Sequence of the structural gene (rmpM) for the class 4 outer membrane protein of Neisseria meningitidis, homology of the protein to gonococcal protein III and Escherichia coli OmpA, and construction of meningococcal strains that lack class 4 protein. Infect Immun. 1989 Jul;57(7):2066–2071. doi: 10.1128/iai.57.7.2066-2071.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Laemmli U. K. Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature. 1970 Aug 15;227(5259):680–685. doi: 10.1038/227680a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Maeland J. A., Wedege E. Serum antibodies to cross-reactive Neisseria outer membrane antigens in healthy persons and patients with meningococcal disease. APMIS. 1989 Sep;97(9):774–780. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1989.tb00477.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Mandrell R. E., Zollinger W. D. Human immune response to meningococcal outer membrane protein epitopes after natural infection or vaccination. Infect Immun. 1989 May;57(5):1590–1598. doi: 10.1128/iai.57.5.1590-1598.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Mandrell R. E., Zollinger W. D. Lipopolysaccharide serotyping of Neisseria meningitidis by hemagglutination inhibition. Infect Immun. 1977 May;16(2):471–475. doi: 10.1128/iai.16.2.471-475.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Orren A., Warren R. E., Potter P. C., Jones A. M., Lachmann P. J., Poolman J. T. Antibodies to meningococcal class 1 outer membrane proteins in South African complement-deficient and complement-sufficient subjects. Infect Immun. 1992 Nov;60(11):4510–4516. doi: 10.1128/iai.60.11.4510-4516.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Poolman J. T., Hopman C. T., Zanen H. C. Immunogenicity of meningococcal antigens as detected in patient sera. Infect Immun. 1983 Apr;40(1):398–406. doi: 10.1128/iai.40.1.398-406.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Rosenqvist E., Harthug S., Frøholm L. O., Høiby E. A., Bøvre K., Zollinger W. D. Antibody responses to serogroup B meningococcal outer membrane antigens after vaccination and infection. J Clin Microbiol. 1988 Aug;26(8):1543–1548. doi: 10.1128/jcm.26.8.1543-1548.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Saukkonen K., Abdillahi H., Poolman J. T., Leinonen M. Protective efficacy of monoclonal antibodies to class 1 and class 3 outer membrane proteins of Neisseria meningitidis B:15:P1.16 in infant rat infection model: new prospects for vaccine development. Microb Pathog. 1987 Oct;3(4):261–267. doi: 10.1016/0882-4010(87)90059-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Saukkonen K., Leinonen M., Abdillahi H., Poolman J. T. Comparative evaluation of potential components for group B meningococcal vaccine by passive protection in the infant rat and in vitro bactericidal assay. Vaccine. 1989 Aug;7(4):325–328. doi: 10.1016/0264-410x(89)90194-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Sjursen H., Wedege E., Rosenqvist E., Naess A., Halstensen A., Matre R., Solberg C. O. IgG subclass antibodies to serogroup B meningococcal outer membrane antigens following infection and vaccination. APMIS. 1990 Dec;98(12):1061–1069. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1990.tb05035.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Swanson J. Studies on gonococcus infection. XII. Colony color and opacity varienats of gonococci. Infect Immun. 1978 Jan;19(1):320–331. doi: 10.1128/iai.19.1.320-331.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Tommassen J., Vermeij P., Struyvé M., Benz R., Poolman J. T. Isolation of Neisseria meningitidis mutants deficient in class 1 (porA) and class 3 (porB) outer membrane proteins. Infect Immun. 1990 May;58(5):1355–1359. doi: 10.1128/iai.58.5.1355-1359.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Tsai C. M. The analysis of lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin) in meningococcal polysaccharide vaccines by silver staining following SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. J Biol Stand. 1986 Jan;14(1):25–33. doi: 10.1016/s0092-1157(86)80006-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Wedege E., Frøholm L. O. Human antibody response to a group B serotype 2a meningococcal vaccine determined by immunoblotting. Infect Immun. 1986 Feb;51(2):571–578. doi: 10.1128/iai.51.2.571-578.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Wedege E., Michaelsen T. E. Human immunoglobulin G subclass immune response to outer membrane antigens in meningococcal group B vaccine. J Clin Microbiol. 1987 Aug;25(8):1349–1353. doi: 10.1128/jcm.25.8.1349-1353.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Wetzler L. M., Blake M. S., Barry K., Gotschlich E. C. Gonococcal porin vaccine evaluation: comparison of Por proteosomes, liposomes, and blebs isolated from rmp deletion mutants. J Infect Dis. 1992 Sep;166(3):551–555. doi: 10.1093/infdis/166.3.551. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Wetzler L. M., Blake M. S., Gotschlich E. C. Characterization and specificity of antibodies to protein I of Neisseria gonorrhoeae produced by injection with various protein I-adjuvant preparations. J Exp Med. 1988 Nov 1;168(5):1883–1897. doi: 10.1084/jem.168.5.1883. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Woods J. P., Cannon J. G. Variation in expression of class 1 and class 5 outer membrane proteins during nasopharyngeal carriage of Neisseria meningitidis. Infect Immun. 1990 Feb;58(2):569–572. doi: 10.1128/iai.58.2.569-572.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Wyle F. A., Artenstein M. S., Brandt B. L., Tramont E. C., Kasper D. L., Altieri P. L., Berman S. L., Lowenthal J. P. Immunologic response of man to group B meningococcal polysaccharide vaccines. J Infect Dis. 1972 Nov;126(5):514–521. doi: 10.1093/infdis/126.5.514. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES