title: Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B: laboratory correlates of protection.
abstract: Meningococcal disease in the Western countries is frequently caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B. Major efforts have been made to develop a safe and efficacious vaccine against this serogroup which is suitable for use in infants and young children. To assess the quality of the immune response after vaccination with candidate vaccines, laboratory correlates of protection are needed. For serogroups A and C, serum bactericidal activity (SBA) is a well established predictor for protection, but for serogroup B other mechanisms besides SBA may also be involved in conferring protection from disease. Several laboratory methods for identification and evaluation of the immunogenicity of possible vaccine antigens are described in this review.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Sophia Children's Hospital/University Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Clementien
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vermont
authors.forename: Germie
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van den Dobbelsteen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016667:Bacterial Capsules; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting / Q000379:methods; D007223:Infant; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D023421:Models, Animal; D038541:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D009895:Opsonin Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000276:immunology; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D015610:Serum Bactericidal Test / Q000379:methods; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D009895:Opsonin Proteins; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; C039455:capsular polysaccharide, meningococcal group B