title: Differences between culture & non-culture confirmed invasive meningococci with a focus on factor H-binding protein distribution.
abstract: To compare the distribution of capsular groups and factor H-binding protein (fHBP) variants among meningococcal isolates and non-culture clinical specimens and to assess the representativeness of group B isolates amongst group B cases as a whole.
  
  
  
  A PCR sequencing assay was used to characterise fHBP from non-culture cases confirmed from January 2011 to December 2013. These were compared to genotypic data derived from whole genome analysis of isolates received during the same period.
  
  
  
  Group W and Y strains were more common among isolates than non-culture strains. The distribution of fHBP variants among group B non-culture cases generally reflected that seen in the corresponding isolates. Nonetheless, the non-culture subset contained a greater proportion of fHBP variant 15/B44, associated with the ST-269 cluster sublineage.
  
  
  
  Differences in capsular group and fHBP distribution among culture and non-culture cases may be indicative of variation in strain viability, diagnostic practice, disease severity and/or clinical presentation. Future analyses combining clinical case information with laboratory data may help to further explore these differences. Group B isolates provide a good representation of group B disease in E&W and, therefore, can reliably be used in fHBP strain coverage predictions of recently-licensed vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Vaccine Evaluation Unit, Public Health England, Clinical Sciences Building II, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester M13 9WZ, United Kingdom. Electronic address: stephen.clark@phe.gov.uk.
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Vaccine Evaluation Unit, Public Health England, Clinical Sciences Building II, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester M13 9WZ, United Kingdom. Electronic address: aiswarya.lekshmi@phe.gov.uk.
authors.forename: Aiswarya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lekshmi
authors.affiliation: Vaccine Evaluation Unit, Public Health England, Clinical Sciences Building II, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester M13 9WZ, United Kingdom. Electronic address: jay.lucidarme@phe.gov.uk.
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lucidarme
authors.affiliation: Pfizer Vaccine Research, 401 N. Middletown Rd., Pearl River, NY 10965, United States. Electronic address: li.hao@pfizer.com.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Pfizer Vaccine Research, 401 N. Middletown Rd., Pearl River, NY 10965, United States. Electronic address: how.tsao@pfizer.com.
authors.forename: How
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsao
authors.affiliation: Manchester Metropolitan University, John Dalton Building, Chester Street, Manchester M1 5GD, United Kingdom. Electronic address: l.lee-jones@mmu.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lee-Jones
authors.affiliation: Pfizer Vaccine Research, 401 N. Middletown Rd., Pearl River, NY 10965, United States. Electronic address: kathrin.jansen@pfizer.com.
authors.forename: Kathrin U
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.affiliation: Vaccine Evaluation Unit, Public Health England, Clinical Sciences Building II, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester M13 9WZ, United Kingdom. Electronic address: lynne.newbold@phe.gov.uk.
authors.forename: Lynne S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Newbold
authors.affiliation: Pfizer Vaccine Research, 401 N. Middletown Rd., Pearl River, NY 10965, United States. Electronic address: annaliesa.anderson@pfizer.com.
authors.forename: Annaliesa S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Vaccine Evaluation Unit, Public Health England, Clinical Sciences Building II, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester M13 9WZ, United Kingdom. Electronic address: ray.borrow@phe.gov.uk.
authors.forename: Ray
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borrow
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C484699:factor H-binding protein, Neisseria meningitidis
keywords: DNA sequencing; Factor H-binding protein; Meningococcal vaccines; Neisseria meningitidis