title: Human antibody responses to the meningococcal factor H binding protein (LP2086) during invasive disease, colonization and carriage.
abstract: Recombinant forms of Neisseria meningitidis factor H binding protein (fHBP) are undergoing clinical trials in candidate vaccines against serogroup B meningococcal disease. Little is known, however, about the host response to fHBP during natural carriage and disease. Here we report a longitudinal study of the antibody response to fHBP in healthy meningococcal carriers and non-carriers, and in patients with invasive meningococcal disease. Using a highly sensitive quantitative immunoassay, anti-fHBP antibodies were detected in sera from all healthy carriers and non-carriers. Carriers had significantly higher anti-fHBP antibody concentrations than non-carriers. Antibody responses similar to those seen in non-carrier subjects were detected in the sera of patients with invasive disease upon their admission to the hospital. The serum anti-fHBP antibody concentrations in these patients generally rose to reach levels similar to those seen in carriers. No correlation between levels of surface fHBP expressed in vitro by the infecting N. meningitidis strain and the magnitude of antibody responses was observed. These data suggest that fHBP is expressed in vivo during both carriage and invasive disease at levels high enough to elicit a robust antibody response.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Bacteriology and Immunology Group, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom. daa@nottingham.ac.uk
authors.forename: Dlawer A A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ala'aldeen
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Flint
authors.forename: Neil J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Oldfield
authors.forename: Sherko A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Omer
authors.forename: Lisa K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: McNeil
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Giardina
authors.forename: Elena G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Novikova
authors.forename: Ingrid L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Dodge-Scully
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Bayliss
authors.forename: David P J
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Keith R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Neal
authors.forename: Susan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Hoiseth
authors.forename: Kathrin U
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: Annaliesa S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008875:Middle Aged; D038541:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; C484699:factor H-binding protein, Neisseria meningitidis