These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Specificity of antibodies to O-acetyl-positive and O-acetyl-negative group C meningococcal polysaccharides in sera from vaccinees and carriers.
    Author: Arakere G, Frasch CE.
    Journal: Infect Immun; 1991 Dec; 59(12):4349-56. PubMed ID: 1937795.
    Abstract:
    Most group C Neisseria meningitidis strains produce an O-acetyl-positive polysaccharide, a homopolymer of alpha-2----9-linked N-acetylneuraminic acid with O-acetyl groups at the C-7 and C-8 of its sialic acid residues. The majority of disease isolates have been reported to contain this polysaccharide. Some strains produce group C polysaccharide lacking O-acetyl groups. The licensed vaccine contains the O-acetyl-positive polysaccharide. We have measured the antibody specificities to the two polysaccharides in sera from asymptomatic group C meningococcal carriers and vaccinated adults by a new enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) procedure using methylated human serum albumin for coating the group C polysaccharide onto microtiter plates. Inhibition of binding of serum antibodies to polysaccharide-coated plates was measured by ELISA after incubation with O-acetyl-positive and O-acetyl-negative group C polysaccharides. Greater inhibition of binding of carrier sera was observed with the homologous polysaccharide. There was substantial inhibition of binding of vaccinee sera to the O-acetyl-positive polysaccharide-coated plate following preincubation with O-acetyl-positive polysaccharide, but homologous inhibition on plates coated with the O-acetyl-negative polysaccharide required much higher concentrations of polysaccharide. Carrier sera may have a higher proportion of antibodies with greater specificity for the O-acetyl-negative polysaccharide, while vaccinee sera contain antibodies with greater affinity for the O-acetyl-positive polysaccharide. Studies with monoclonal antibodies specific for O-acetyl-positive and O-acetyl-negative polysaccharides reveal that the percentage of group C meningococcal disease caused by O-acetyl-negative strains remains about 15%, as found over 15 years ago.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]