title: Genetic diversity and levels of expression of factor H binding protein among carriage isolates of Neisseria meningitidis.
abstract: The prevention of meningococcal disease may be improved by recombinant vaccines such as 4CMenB and rLP2086 that target the factor H binding protein (fHbp), an immunogenic surface component of Neisseria meningitidis present as one of three variants. Whether such vaccines decrease carriage of invasive isolates and thus induce herd immunity is unknown. We analyzed the genetic diversity and levels of expression of fHbp among 268 carriage strains and compare them to those of 467 invasive strains. fhbp gene sequencing showed higher proportions of variants 2 and 3 among carriage isolates (p<0.0001). Carriage isolates expressed lower levels of fHbp (p<0.01) but that remain high enough to predict targeting by antibodies against fHbp particularly in group B isolates belonging to the frequent hypervirulent clonal complexes in Europe and North America (cc32, cc41/44, cc269). This suggests that fHbp targeting meningococcal vaccines might reduce, at least in part, the acquisition of some hyperinvasive isolates.
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Rouen, France.
authors.forename: Ludovic
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lemée
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, National de Reference Centre for meningococci and Invasive Bacterial infections Unit, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Rouen, France.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Etienne
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, National de Reference Centre for meningococci and Invasive Bacterial infections Unit, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Ala-Eddine
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Deghmane
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Rouen, France.
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Delbos
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, National de Reference Centre for meningococci and Invasive Bacterial infections Unit, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Aude
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terrade
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier Général, Dieppe, France.
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Berthelot
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Rouen, France.
authors.forename: Francois
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caron
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, National de Reference Centre for meningococci and Invasive Bacterial infections Unit, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Muhamed-Kheir
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Taha
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C484699:factor H-binding protein, Neisseria meningitidis