title: Detection of antibodies to common antigens of pathogenic and commensal Neisseria species.
abstract: Sera from 29 children and six adults were used to investigate the nature of antigenic cross-reactivity between Neisseria polysaccharea, N. lactamica and N. meningitidis B,15P1.16 by immunoblotting. Major common antigens of 68-70 Kda, 60-65 Kda and 15-20 Kda were detected. Antibody directed against them uniformly decreased after absorption of the sera with the three different Neisseria species. Antigens of 55 Kda and 35 Kda specific to N. meningitidis, and one of 43 Kda specific to N. lactamica, were also demonstrated. Antibody against all antigens was more prevalent in bactericidal than in non-bactericidal sera, although these differences were statistically not significant. Differences in antibody prevalence between carriers of Neisseria spp. and non-carriers of these organisms were even less marked. Examination of sera by whole-cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay against N. meningitidis B,15P1.16 and N. lactamica gave an absorbance ratio of 1:1. Only four sera from children showed no reactivity against the meningococcal strain. These common antigens are likely to be important in vaccine development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, London.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Cann
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Rogers
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009343:Neisseria / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial