title: Phenotypic assessment of Neisseria meningitidis isolates obtained from patients with invasive meningococcal disease in Greece, 1993-2003: implications for serogroup B vaccines based on PorA serosubtype antigens.
abstract: Serogroup B is the major isolate from patients with invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in Greece. This study used the whole cell enzyme-linked immuosorbent assay (ELISA) with monoclonal antibodies to screen Neisseria meningitidis isolates obtained from patients with IMD between 1993 and 2003 to determine if serosubtypes included in the hexavalent Por A OMP vaccines being tested in northern Europe were prevalent in Greece. During this period there were significant changes in the proportions of serogroups B and C isolated from patients. Serogroup C was predominant in 1996-1997 but fell sharply with corresponding increases in serogroup B. Of the 591 isolates sent to the National Meningitis Reference Laboratory in Athens during this period, 325 (55%) were serogroup B. Among those tested for serosubtype, porA proteins used for the vaccine being tested in Britain were detected on 85/284 (30%) strains and for the vaccine being tested in the Netherlands 175/284 (62%). P1.14 (58/284, 20%) the predominant serosubtype among the Greek isolates, is not present in either vaccine formulation; 23/284 (8%) strains did not react with any of the monoclonal antibodies. Our results indicate that introduction of the vaccines currently being evaluated in northern Europe would not be warranted in the Greek population.
authors.affiliation: National Meningococcal Reference Laboratory, National School of Public Health, Department of Public Health, 196 Alexandras Avenue, Athens, Greece. gtzanakaki@nsph.gr
authors.forename: Georgina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tzankaki
authors.forename: Fani
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Markou
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kesanopoulos
authors.forename: Stamatina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Levidiotou
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pangalis
authors.forename: Mariza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsolia
authors.forename: Vassiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Liakou
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Papapavasiliou
authors.forename: Aliki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Voyiatzi
authors.forename: Athina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kansouzidou
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Foustoukou
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blackwell
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kremastinou
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018272:Porins / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D018272:Porins; C057699:porin protein, Neisseria