RESUMEN
The induction of opsonic antibodies directed against capsular polysaccharides (Ps) is an important mechanism by which immunization protects against the development of invasive pneumococcal (Pn) infection. In preparing Pn vaccines, it is necessary to compare different manufacturing lots of capsular Ps, or to compare oligosaccharides used for conjugate vaccines with native capsular Ps, in order to insure that important epitopes of the Ps are maintained. We have developed an opsonic-antibody inhibition assay (OIA) to compare the functional epitopes of different capsular Ps preparations in vitro. Components of the OIA are primary neutrophils, rabbit complement (C'), and type-specific antibody (Ab). After conditions for optimal opsonic killing were determined for each Pn serotype, anti-Pn Ab was pre-incubated with different dilutions of purified capsular Ps, then added to the OIA mix. Plotting the % bacteria killed versus Ps concentration (log transformed) yielded a linear curve that was used to quantify the concentration of capsular Ps which inhibited the bacteria killing by 50% (IC50). The IC50 was determined for 8 Pn Ps types. These ranged between 6 ng/ml for type 6B and 1268 ng/ml for type 23F. Importantly OIA curves were statistically identical for two different manufacturing lots of capsular Ps for the 8 Pn Ps types. We conclude that differences among capsular Ps used for Pn vaccines could be detected with an OIA assay and these differences may predict the ability of Ps preparations to induce functionally active antibody when formulated into vaccines.
Asunto(s)
Cápsulas Bacterianas/inmunología , Epítopos/análisis , Técnicas Inmunológicas , Proteínas Opsoninas/inmunología , Streptococcus pneumoniae/inmunología , Animales , Anticuerpos Antibacterianos/inmunología , Antígenos Bacterianos/análisis , Antígenos Bacterianos/inmunología , Cápsulas Bacterianas/análisis , Recuento de Colonia Microbiana , Proteínas del Sistema Complemento , Epítopos/inmunología , Femenino , Humanos , Concentración 50 Inhibidora , Macaca mulatta , Masculino , Neutrófilos/inmunología , FagocitosisRESUMEN
A fast and sensitive HPLC method using fluorescence detection is developed to quantitate 1-pyrenyldiazomethane (PDAM) derivatized fatty acids derived from the lipid components of both the capsular meningococcal polysaccharide and other impurities such as endotoxin in various meningococcal vaccine samples. The HPLC method is capable of well resolving 13 relevant fatty acids within 40min by using a multi-stage acetonitrile/water gradient. Endotoxin values measured by HPLC well correlated with results from the standard Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) assay. Furthermore, the fatty acid profiles of various process intermediate samples as well as final purified polysaccharide products were determined to better understand and characterize the purification process.
