title: Reduced serum IgG responses to pneumococcal antigens in otitis-prone children may be due to poor memory B-cell generation.
abstract: A low level of serum antibody to antigens expressed by Streptococcus pneumoniae has been proposed to explain the susceptibility of children to recurrent episodes of acute otitis media (hereafter, "otitis-prone children"). By use of enzyme-linked immunospot assays, the percentages of memory B cells to pneumococcal protein antigens PhtD, LytB, PcpA, PhtE, and Ply were compared between otitis-prone and non-otitis-prone children at the time of acute otitis media or nasopharyngeal colonization with S. pneumoniae. We found significantly lower percentages of memory B cells to 3 pneumococcal protein antigens (PhtD, PhtE, and Ply) and reduced antigen-specific immunoglobulin G concentrations in otitis-prone children, compared with non-otitis-prone children.
authors.affiliation: Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Immunology, Research Institute, Rochester General Hospital, Rochester, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Sharad K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Janet R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Pichichero
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G