title: Targeting surface protein SasX by active and passive vaccination to reduce Staphylococcus aureus colonization and infection.
abstract: SasX is a recently described surface protein of Staphylococcus aureus that is linked to the epidemic success of hospital-associated methicillin-resistant clones, in particular in Asia. It enhances nasal colonization and virulence in skin and lung infection models. Here, we evaluated the potential of SasX as a vaccine component in passive and active immunization efforts using mouse infection models. We found that SasX induced a specific immune response predominantly based on IgG1 antibodies. Active immunization with recombinant SasX or passive immunization with rabbit polyclonal anti-SasX IgG significantly decreased the size of lesions caused by S. aureus in a skin infection model. Furthermore, active immunization reduced acute lung injury in a lung infection model. Moreover, active or passive immunization significantly reduced S. aureus colonization in a nasal colonization model. Finally, anti-SasX IgG enhanced the susceptibility of S. aureus to killing by human neutrophils. We conclude that SasX is a potential target for therapeutics or vaccines designed to moderate colonization and infection by sasX-positive epidemic strains of S. aureus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xufen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Tianming
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yanan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Pathogen Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Human Bacterial Pathogenesis, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA motto@niaid.nih.gov ruth_limin@126.com.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Otto
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China motto@niaid.nih.gov ruth_limin@126.com.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000517:prevention & control; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007116:Immunization, Passive / Q000379:methods; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013207:Staphylococcal Skin Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013209:Staphylococcal Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D013209:Staphylococcal Vaccines; D037521:Virulence Factors