title: Seroprevalence of bactericidal and anti-outer membrane vesicle antibodies to Neisseria meningitidis group B in England.
abstract: Outer membrane vesicle (OMV) and recombinant protein-based vaccines targeted against multiple strains of group B meningococci are under development. The serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) assay has been designated the surrogate of protection, but the exact cutoff has not been determined. We measured the SBA titers in 2,415 serum samples and the anti-OMV IgG antibody concentrations in 2,672 serum samples representative of the English population to establish a baseline of natural immunity. SBA and anti-OMV IgG antibody titers are high in infants in the first 3 months of life, declining thereafter, presumably as maternal immunity wanes. About 6% of the subjects in the 1- to 11-year-old age group had SBA titers >or=4. During the teenage years, there was a marked increase in the percentage of subjects with SBA titers >or=4, rising to over 50% in 19-year-olds, with about 20% of older adults achieving this titer. The peak in SBA and anti-OMV IgG titers coincided with the peak in meningococcal carriage. Simple mathematical models confirm that the relationship between observed seroprevalence and carriage by age is consistent with carriage inducing SBA and that following an episode of carriage, SBA levels may remain elevated for many months. With the exception of children aged 3 to 11 months, there was no clear relationship between disease incidence and seroprevalence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2PR, United Kingdom. caroline.trotter@bristol.ac.uk
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trotter
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Findlow
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Balmer
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holland
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barchha
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hamer
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Ray
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borrow
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018448:Models, Immunological; D038541:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B / Q000276:immunology*; D038542:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup C / Q000276:immunology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G