title: O-antigen seroepidemiology of Klebsiella clinical isolates and implications for immunoprophylaxis of Klebsiella infections.
abstract: To provide a database for the development of an O-antigen-polysaccharide-containing vaccine against Klebsiella spp., we examined the O-antigen seroepidemiology of 378 Klebsiella clinical isolates collected prospectively in two university centers. Strains were typed by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with rabbit antisera specific for serogroups O1 to O12 and monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific for serogroups O1, O2ab, O2ac, and the genus-specific core antigen. The numbers of isolates (percentages) of individual O serogroups were as follows: 148 (39.2) for serogroup O1, 40 (10.6) for serogroup O2ab, 4 (1.1) for serogroup O2ac, 89 (23.6) for serogroup O3, 2 (0.5) for serogroup O4, 32 (8.5) for serogroup O5, none for serogroups O7, O9, and O12, and 21 (5.6) for serogroup O11. Forty-two (11.1) of the strains were non-O-typeable. O-serogroup distributions were virtually identical between isolates from invasive infections and those from noninvasive infections or colonizations. A vaccine containing the O-specific polysaccharides of serogroups O1, O2ab, O3, and O5 would cover 82% of clinically occurring O-antigen specificities. Three hundred thirty-eight of 378 isolates (89.4%) reacted with the genus-specific MAb V/9-5, which recognizes an epitope of the outer core region of Klebsiella lipopolysaccharide. Antibodies directed against this epitope may represent a further alternative for O-antigen-targeted immunoprophylaxis of Klebsiella infections. These data support further experimental investigations on the protective potential of O-antigen-based vaccines and/or hyperimmune globulins in Klebsiella infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trautmann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruhnke
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rukavina
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Held
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Cross
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marre
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Whitfield
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D007709:Klebsiella / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D007710:Klebsiella Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019081:O Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012703:Serotyping
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D019081:O Antigens