title: Development of increased serum immunoblot reactivity against a 45,000-dalton polypeptide of Treponema pallidum (Nichols) correlates with establishment of chancre immunity in syphilitic rabbits.
abstract: Rabbits developed chancre immunity 5.0 to 7.5 weeks after intradermal infection with 10(3) Treponema pallidum (Nichols). The serological response against T. pallidum antigen during this 2.5-week period was examined by Western immunoblotting. Sera from rabbits infected for 5.0 weeks contained antibodies against 7 of 13 major T. pallidum immunogens, with strongest binding detected against a polypeptide of Mr 47,000. By 7.5 weeks of infection, syphilitic rabbit sera recognized 10 of 13 antigens; the most evident increase in serological reactivity was directed against a polypeptide of Mr 45,000, suggesting that the development of a strong serological response against this polypeptide correlated with the onset of chancre immunity.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D002601:Chancre / Q000276:immunology*; D007109:Immunity; D007163:Immunosorbent Techniques; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011817:Rabbits; D013587:Syphilis / Q000276:immunology*; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins