title: Problems posed by potential gonococcal vaccines viewed from the vantage point of a control agency.
abstract: Progress in the characterisation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and other bacterial pathogens has suggested that immunoprophylaxis for gonorrhoea may be possible despite the well-known propensity for reinfection. Pili, outer membrane proteins, a capsular polysaccharide, and the lipopolysaccharide may be important gonococcal virulence factors, and immune components (probably antibodies) to more than one of these antigens may be required to confer immunity. A study of antigenic polymorphism of these structures should identify disease isolates more precisely and provide information about the relationship between variants of these gonococcal structures and gonococcal virulence.
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000276:immunology*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines