Use of the skin protection assay in experimental syphilis to assess protective immunity against a specific Treponema pallidum surface epitope.
We have recently shown that a monoclonal antibody, designated M131, that binds a surface phosphorylcholine epitope on Treponema pallidum possesses complement-dependent killing activity and confers partial protection in rabbits following passive immunization (Blanco et al., 2005, Infect. Immun. 73:3083-3095). In this study, the protective potential of M131 was further tested using the rabbit skin protection assay of Titus and Weiser. Both M131 and infection-derived immune rabbit serum resulted in significant lesion delays corresponding to at least a 90% reduction of the treponemal challenge inoculum. The skin protection assay provides a way to assess the protective potential of specific immunogens while using far less antibody than in passive immunization protocols.
Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. dblanco@mednet.ucla.edu
David R
DR
Blanco
Cheryl I
CI
Champion
Michael A
MA
Lovett
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D007116:Immunization, Passive / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D013587:Syphilis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D000939:Epitopes; D007106:Immune Sera