title: Serum antibodies and bacterial meningitis.
abstract: The role of serum antibodies in bacterial meningitis and the human defence against it is reviewed. There is good evidence from animal and human studies in vitro and in vivo showing that serum antibodies to the capsular polysaccharide of the bacteria play a major role in protection, whereas antibodies to other cell surface components vary in protective ability. A major problem associated with the use of capsular polysaccharides as vaccines has been the T cell-independent nature of polysaccharide antigens, and the often poor immune response of infants to such antigens. This problem has now been overcome by covalent conjugation of the polysaccharide to protein, resulting in T cell-dependent antigens. Vaccines produced with this technology from the capsular polysaccharide of Haemophilus influenzae type b have already proven highly immunogenic and protective in young infants. The technology is being applied to other encapsulated bacteria.
authors.affiliation: National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Mäkelä
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000276:immunology; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic