title: Immune response to Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in a cohort of children from birth to 2 years of age.
abstract: A cohort of 111 children from Bangui, Central African Republic, was surveyed for enteric Campylobacter infections from birth to the age of 2 years; stools were examined biweekly in these children until 6 months of age and at least four times per year thereafter until 2 years of age and after each diarrheal episode. Blood samples were obtained at birth and at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months of age. Antibodies against glycine-extracted membrane antigens, purified flagella, and cholera toxin (CT) were assayed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results showed that titers of antibody against the three tested antigens increased in children between 6 and 12 months of age and that nearly all children were immunized by the age of 2 years. A significant fall in anti-flagellum (P less than 0.001) and anti-glycine extract antibodies (P less than 0.001) occurred between birth and age 3 months, and children who had Campylobacter infections during the first 6 months of life had significantly (P less than 0.02) less anti-flagellum antibodies at birth than did those who did not have Campylobacter infections during that time. Three-month-interval stratification showed that CT antibody titers at birth were significantly lower in children who developed Campylobacter infection than in controls (P = 0.05). Comparison of the immune response to a single Campylobacter episode showed that 46.6% of children with asymptomatic carriage did not respond to CT while only 5% of children with diarrhea-producing infection did not respond to CT (P less than 0.01), compared with 30% (P = 0.065) and 56% (P less than 0.01), respectively, of the age-matched controls. Antibodies to flagella seem to protect against enteric colonization by Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Bangui, Central African Republic.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mathiot
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ipero
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kirimat
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Georges
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Georges-Courbot
mesh_terms: D000350:Africa, Central; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D002168:Campylobacter fetus / Q000276:immunology*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial