title: Immunization with BLS-Stx2B chimera totally protects dams from early pregnancy loss induced by Shiga toxin type 2 (Stx2) and confers anti-Stx2 immunity to the offspring.
abstract: Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are bacterial pathogens involved in food-borne diseases. Shiga toxin (Stx) is the main virulence factor of STEC and is responsible for systemic complications including Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). It has been previously demonstrated that Shiga toxin type 2 (Stx2) induces pregnancy loss in rats in early stage of pregnancy. The main purpose of this study was to determine if an active immunization prevents Stx2 mediated pregnancy loss and confers passive protective immunity to the offspring. For that purpose Sprague Dawley female rats were immunized with the chimera based on the enzyme lumazine synthase from Brucella spp. (BLS) and the B subunit of Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2B) named BLS-Stx2B. After immunization females were mated with males. At day 8 of gestation, dams were challenged intraperitoneally with a sublethal and abortifacient dose of Stx2. The immunization induced high anti-Stx2B-specific antibody titers in sera and most important, prevented pregnancy loss. Pups born and breastfeed by immunized dams had high anti-Stx2B-specific antibody titers in sera. Cross-fostering experiments indicated that passive protective immunity against Stx2 was transmitted through lactation. These results indicate that immunization of adult female rats with BLS-Stx2B prevents Stx2-induced pregnancy loss and confers anti Stx2 protective immunity to the offspring.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Fisiopatogenia, Departamento de Fisiología, Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO Houssay-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sacerdoti
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Patogénesis e Inmunología de Procesos Infecciosos, Instituto de Medicina Experimental, (IMEX-CONICET), Academia Nacional de Medicina, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Mejías
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Patogénesis e Inmunología de Procesos Infecciosos, Instituto de Medicina Experimental, (IMEX-CONICET), Academia Nacional de Medicina, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Andrea C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Bruballa
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Fisiopatogenia, Departamento de Fisiología, Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO Houssay-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Romina Soledad
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Fisiopatogenia, Departamento de Fisiología, Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO Houssay-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Patogénesis e Inmunología de Procesos Infecciosos, Instituto de Medicina Experimental, (IMEX-CONICET), Academia Nacional de Medicina, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Marina S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Palermo
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Fisiopatogenia, Departamento de Fisiología, Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO Houssay-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: ibarra@fmed.uba.ar.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ibarra
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000097:blood; D002002:Brucella / Q000201:enzymology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022361:Escherichia coli Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D006463:Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control; D007112:Immunity, Maternally-Acquired; D008297:Male; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2 / Q000276:immunology*; D054323:Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D022361:Escherichia coli Vaccines; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2; C044822:6,7-dimethyl-8-ribityllumazine synthase
keywords: Antibodies; Lactation; Pregnancy; Rats; Vaccination