Protection against group B meningococcal disease. I. Comparison of group-specific and type-specific protection in the chick embryo model.
Protection against group B meningococcal infection was examined using the chick embryo. 12-day-old embryos were challenged intravenously with various meningococcal strains. The chick embryo has an active reticuloendothelial system but lacks functional complement. In this model we found that protection against group B infection was primarily group specific. The group B polysaccharide antibody is an effective opsonin, but is a very poor bactericidal antibody. In contrast, the serotype antibody was bactericidal but only slightly protective in the chick embryo where protection is primarily phagocytic in nature. The group-specific and type-specific antibodies are strongly synergistic. Minute amounts of group B polysaccharide antibody caused a very significant increase in the protective effects of the serotype antibody.
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D002642:Chick Embryo; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007114:Immunization; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000276:immunology*; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D012703:Serotyping
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial