title: Salicylate-enhanced exposure of Klebsiella pneumoniae subcapsular components.
abstract: The capsular polysaccharide (CPS) of Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important virulence factor. Salicylate, which inhibits CPS production, was used to expose subcapsular antigens and components that may play an important role in host defense. Salicylate treatment greatly increased phagocytosis of five O1 serotypes by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes with normal rabbit serum and rabbit antisera against purified O1 lipopolysaccharide (O1LPS) as opsonins (p < 0.01 or < 0.05). Similar results were obtained with rabbit antiserum against a non-encapsulated isogenic strain. To further determine how salicylate increases susceptibility to phagocytosis, the binding of monoclonal antibodies against O1LPS or the LPS core and the binding of complement component C3b were measured by ELISA. The data indicate that salicylate reduced the barrier of CPS in serotypes O1:K1, O1:K10, and O1:K16 and unmasked subcapsular antigenic components in serotypes O1:K2 and O1:K66 so that bound opsonins could react with receptors on phagocytes. Serum bactericidal assays supported this conclusion. Therefore, decapsulating agents such as salicylate accentuate phagocytosis of K. pneumoniae by making subcapsular antigens and components accessible to immune and nonimmune host defences and vaccination with subcapsular antigens may exhibit optimal protection against lethal infection when combined with salicylate therapy.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Pediatrics, Nassau County Medical Center, East Meadow, NY 11554, USA.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Salo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Domenico
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tomás
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Straus
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Merino
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Benedí
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Cunha
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions / Q000187:drug effects; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000378:metabolism*; D003167:Complement Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D003179:Complement C3b / Q000378:metabolism; D007710:Klebsiella Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D012980:Sodium Salicylate / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D003179:Complement C3b; D012980:Sodium Salicylate