Measuring antigen-specific bactericidal responses to a multicomponent vaccine against serogroup B meningococcus

• Published in: Vaccine Vol. 28; no. 31; pp. 5023 - 5030
• Main Authors: Giuliani, Marzia M., Biolchi, Alessia, Serruto, Davide, Ferlicca, Francesca, Vienken, Kay, Oster, Philipp, Rappuoli, Rino, Pizza, Mariagrazia, Donnelly, John
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 12.07.2010; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Allergy and Immunology; Animals; Antibodies; Antibodies, Bacterial - immunology; Applied microbiology; Bacteria; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Bactericidal Activity; Competition; Complement System Proteins - immunology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human subjects; Humans; MenB vaccine; Meningitis; Meningococcal Infections - immunology; Meningococcal Infections - prevention & control; Meningococcal Vaccines - immunology; Mice; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Neisseria meningitidis; Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B - classification; Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B - immunology; Proteins; Regulatory approval; Serum bactericidal activity; Vaccines; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies (general aspects); Vaccines, Synthetic - immunology; MenB vaccine; Serum bactericidal activity; Neisseria meningitidis; Antigen; Neisseriaceae; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Serum; Vaccine
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.05.014

Serum bactericidal activity using human complement is the basis for established correlates of protection against invasive meningococcal disease. During the development of multicomponent protein-based vaccines against meningococcus B, it is necessary to measure antigen-specific bactericidal responses. This is not straightforward because each strain may be killed by antibodies to multiple antigens. We characterized a large panel of strains and, using a competitive inhibition SBA, we identified four strains that are each specifically killed by bactericidal antibodies to one of the major vaccine components. These strains provide a straightforward approach to demonstrate protective responses to each component of the vaccine and demonstrate that each of the antigens in the vaccine is sufficient to provide a potentially protective level of bactericidal activity.