title: Human antibody response towards the pneumococcal surface proteins PspA and PspC during invasive pneumococcal infection.
abstract: IgG antibodies against pneumococcal surface protein A, family 1 (PspA1) and family 2 (PspA2), protein C (PspC), and protein Hic were investigated in 41 patients with invasive pneumococcal disease. Pre-existing antibody levels against the four pneumococcal proteins were not significantly different from those found in 40 patients with non-pneumococcal bacteremia or 80 healthy controls. However, during convalescense a strong immune response developed especially against PspA, and there was a high degree of cross-reactivity between PspA- and PspC-antibodies. Our findings on immunogenicity and cross-reactivity suggest that in a future pneumococcal protein based vaccine, only a limited number of proteins could be sufficient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Section for Clinical and Experimental Infection Medicine, Lund University, SE-221 85 Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Linder
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hollingshead
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Janulczyk
authors.forename: Bertil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Christensson
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Akesson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C417512:Hic protein, Streptococcus pneumoniae; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C051592:pneumococcal surface protein A