title: Defective antibody-mediated opsonisation of S. pneumoniae in high risk patients detected by flow cytometry.
abstract: Invasive pneumococcal infection continues to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality especially in patients with antibody deficiencies and disorders affecting the reticulo-endothelial system. Current recommendations for prophylaxis in these patients include immunization with 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide capsular vaccines. Post-immunization responses are commonly assessed by measuring serum antibody levels. However, there is no defined protective antibody range and this approach fails to determine the functional capacity of the antibodies. A simple, reproducible flow cytometric method of assessing the antibody-mediated opsonic activity against S. pneumoniae is described. This assay detected defective opsonic function in post-immunized at-risk patients who developed invasive pneumococcal infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, London, UK.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Obaro
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Monteil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D009895:Opsonin Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000276:immunology; D010949:Plasma / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D009895:Opsonin Proteins; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines