FIG. 3.

Clearance of NTHi strain UC19 from BAL fluid (A) and homogenized lung (B) following challenge of animals immunized with the P5 chimeric peptides. Significant clearance was seen in the BAL fluid from MVF/H3-immunized rats and in the lung homogenates from MVF/L1A- and MVF/H3-immunized rats. ∗, P < 0.05; ▾, P < 0.005. The mean CFU recovered from the nonimmune group was given the value of 0% clearance. The percent clearance in the peptide-immunized groups was calculated as 100 minus the percent ratio of the mean CFU recovered from the immunized groups divided by the mean of the nonimmune group. Each group consisted of four to five animals, except for the control group, which consisted of eight animals. The error bars represent the standard errors of the mean expressed as percentages.