title: Human immune response to epitopes on the meningococcal outer membrane class 5 protein following natural infection.
abstract: Two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were produced against a serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis strain. These mAbs recognized two epitopes in the class 5 outer membrane proteins (OMP), designated P5.7 and P5.Bm, and were able to kill the homologous strain through complement activation. Both epitopes were surface exposed and 68% of group B meningococcal clinical isolates had one or both epitopes present in their class 5 OMP. Antibodies to one or both epitopes were demonstrated in 17 patients with meningococcal meningitis using an ELISA inhibition assay. Of the 17 paired sera, 41% and 29% of the acute-phase sera had antibodies to the P5.7 and P5.Bm epitopes, respectively. Immunoglobulin G to P5.Bm were found in all 17 convalescent-phase sera while specific antibodies against P5.7 were only found in 6 of these sera. These results demonstrate the potential importance of the P5.Bm and P5.7 epitopes on the class 5 OMP as candidates for vaccine composition.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Technologia em Imunobiológicos (Bio-Manguinhos), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Danelli
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Bastos
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Batoreu
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Barroso
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Peralta
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Frasch
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000276:immunology*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D000939:Epitopes