Monitoring of ELISA-reactive antibodies against anthrax protective antigen (PA), lethal factor (LF), and toxin-neutralising antibodies in serum of individuals vaccinated against anthrax with the PA-based UK anthrax vaccine.
The human anthrax vaccines currently licensed contain the protective antigen (PA) of Bacillus anthracis as main antigen together with traces of some other bacillus components, e.g. lethal factor (LF). The present study aimed at monitoring the course of specific antibody titres against PA and LF by enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), as well as the levels of toxin-neutralising antibodies, in 11 volunteers vaccinated with the human anthrax vaccine UK. After an initial seroconversion in all vaccinees, a significant reduction of both antibody titres against PA and LF, and of neutralising antibodies, was detected just prior to a vaccine boost 6 months after completion of the basic immunisation. Following the booster injection, titres increased again to levels comparable to those after the fourth immunisation. ELISA titres against PA correlated significantly with neutralising antibodies (r=0.816, p<0.001). Therefore, the less work- and time-consuming ELISA should be favoured to monitor the efficacy of an anthrax vaccination.
Grunow
Roland
R
Institut fuer Mikrobiologie der Bundeswehr, D-80937 Munich, Germany. GrunowR@rki.de
Porsch-Ozcürümez
Mustafa
M
Splettstoesser
Wolf
W
Buckendahl
Arno
A
Hahn
Ulrike
U
Beyer
Wolfgang
W
Böhm
Reinhard
R
Huber
Maria
M
vd Esche
Ulrich
U
Bessler
Wolfgang
W
Frangoulidis
Dimitrios
D
Finke
Ernst-Jürgen
EJ
D000881:Anthrax / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022122:Anthrax Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000276:immunology; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D014611:Vaccination
D022122:Anthrax Vaccines; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; C030325:anthrax toxin