title: Systemic and mucosal antibody response in experimental Chlamydia pneumoniae infection of mice.
abstract: Chlamydia pneumoniae is a common human respiratory pathogen, and sera from infected individuals recognize several proteins of C. pneumoniae. We produced C. pneumoniae-specific proteins in a Bacillus subtilis expression system. We then used these recombinant C. pneumoniae proteins and purified C. pneumoniae elementary bodies as antigens in enzyme immunoassays to assess the kinetics and protein specificity of the systemic and mucosal antibody responses induced by C. pneumoniae intranasal infection in BALB/c mice. The systemic antibodies in mice recognized strong 'key' immunogens of Chlamydia, Omp2 and Hsp60, but weakly targeted the MOMP protein, the major immunogen in chlamydial species other than C. pneumoniae. The IgA antibodies in bronchial secretions specifically recognized the putative surface protein of C. pneumoniae, Omp4. Our preliminary observations point to the necessity of further characterization of the mucosal antibody response during C. pneumoniae infection.
authors.affiliation: Haartman Institute, Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Finland. tuula.penttila@ktl.fi
authors.forename: Tuula
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Penttilä
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wahlström
authors.forename: Jenni M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vuola
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarvas
authors.forename: Mirja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Puolakkainen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D018834:Chaperonin 60; C063931:Omp2 protein, bacteria; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C101031:major outer membrane protein, Chlamydia pneumoniae