title: 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.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institut fuer Mikrobiologie der Bundeswehr, D-80937 Munich, Germany. GrunowR@rki.de
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grunow
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Porsch-Ozcürümez
authors.forename: Wolf
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Splettstoesser
authors.forename: Arno
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buckendahl
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Beyer
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Böhm
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: vd Esche
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bessler
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Frangoulidis
authors.forename: Ernst-Jürgen
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Finke
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D022122:Anthrax Vaccines; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; C030325:anthrax toxin