title: Antibody-neutralizing activity against all urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis serovars in Chlamydia suis-infected pigs.
abstract: It is known that neutralizing species-specific or serovar-specific antibodies are produced in response to chlamydial infection in humans and in some animal species. In a previous study, a strong in vitro neutralizing activity to Chlamydia suis in 80% of sera from C. suis-infected pigs had been observed. In view of the close relationship between C. suis and Chlamydia trachomatis, in the present study, the neutralizing activity against D-K C. trachomatis and C. suis purified elementary bodies (EBs) in sera collected from C. trachomatis-infected patients and C. suis-infected pigs was evaluated. A neutralizing activity of 50-70% was observed in the human sera against the homologous serovar and one to five heterologous C. trachomatis serovars. These sera were also able to neutralize C. suis EBs. The pig sera showed a strong neutralizing activity (70-100%) against C. suis EBs and all eight urogenital C. trachomatis serovars. These results suggested the presence of common immunogenic antigens in C. trachomatis and C. suis. Immunoblot analysis, performed to elucidate the target of this neutralizing activity, showed a clear reactivity in human and pig sera against two proteins of 150 and 40 kDa MW, when tested either with C. trachomatis or with C. suis EBs.
authors.affiliation: Section of Microbiology DESOS, Policlinico S. Orsola, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Donati
authors.forename: Antonietta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Francesco
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Delucca
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Paolo
authors.forename: Mara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Battilani
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balboni
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baldelli
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cevenini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D002689:Chlamydia / Q000276:immunology*; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D013045:Species Specificity; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial