Antibody responsiveness to the enteropathogenic Escherichia coli bundle-forming pilus subunit A in lactating mothers and asymptomatic children.
The objective of this study was to examine the antibody responsiveness to the bundle-forming pilus subunit A of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in human colostrum (n = 36) and serum (n = 90) of paediatric ambulatory patients, 3-24 months of age. Affinity purified recombinant bundle-forming pilus subunit A was used in immunoblot analysis to detect antigen-specific serum immunoglobulins G and A, and colostrum immunoglobulin A. Circulating immunoglobulin G antibody activity to the bundle-forming pilus subunit A was readily detected in all children. The frequency of immunoglobulin A antibody activity to the bundle-forming pilus subunit A in serum was 83.3%. Immunoglobulin A antibody activity to the bundle-forming pilus subunit A was detected in 75% of colostrum samples. The high frequency of immunoglobulin A antibody activity to the bundle-forming pilus subunit A observed in serum reveals a predominance of typical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli priming/infection in the study population.


CONCLUSIONS
these findings demonstrate that the bundle-forming pilus subunit A is immunogenic, for both immunoglobulins G and A, in both pregnant/lactating women and asymptomatic children.
Hospital dos Plantadores de Cana, Campos dos Goytacazes, Centro da Criança e do Adolescente, RJ, Brazil.
Regina Célia
RC
de Souza Campos Fernandes
Victor Martin Quintana
VM
Flores
Zila Sousa
ZS
de Macedo
Enrique
E
Medina-Acosta
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D003126:Colostrum / Q000276:immunology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005260:Female; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D007774:Lactation / Q000276:immunology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; C104901:BfpA protein, E coli; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins