Outer membrane vesicles extracted from Neisseria meningitidis serogroup X for prevention of meningococcal disease in Africa.

Meningococcal disease is caused mainly by serogroups A, B, C, Y, W of N. meningitidis. However, numerous cases of meningitis caused by serogroup X N. meningitidis (MenX) have recently been reported in several African countries. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines against this pathogen and most of the MenX cases have been caused by meningococci from clonal complex (c.c) 181. Detergent extracted meningococcal outer membrane vesicle (dOMV) vaccines have previously shown to be safe and effective against epidemics of serogroup B meningococcal disease in all age groups. The aim of this work is therefore to obtain, characterize and evaluate the vaccine potential of dOMVs derived from a MenX strain (OMVx). Three experimental lots of OMVx were prepared by deoxycholate extraction from the MenX strain BF 2/97. Size and morphology of the vesicles was determined by Dynamic Light Scattering and electron microscopy, whereas the antigenic composition was characterized by gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. OMVx were thereafter adsorbed to aluminium hydroxide (OMVx/AL) and two doses of OMVx were administered s.c. to groups of Balb/c mice three weeks apart. The immunogenicity and functional antibody activities in sera were evaluated by ELISA (anti-OMVx specific IgG responses) and serum bactericidal activity (SBA) assay. The size range of OMVx was shown to be between 90 and 120nm, whereas some of the antigens detected were the outer membrane proteins PorA, OpcA and RmpM. The OMVx/AL elicited high anti-OMVx antibody responses with bactericidal activity and no bactericidal activity was observed in the control group of no immunised mice. The results demonstrate that OMVx are immunogenic and could form part of a future vaccine to prevent the majority of meningococcal disease in the African meningitis belt.

Immune responses of a meningococcal A + W outer membrane vesicle (OMV) vaccine with and without aluminium hydroxide adjuvant in two different mouse strains.

Meningococci (Neisseria meningiditis) of serogroups A and W have caused large epidemics of meningitis in sub-Saharan Africa for decades, and affordable and multivalent vaccines, effective in all age groups, are needed. A bivalent serogroup A and W (A + W) meningococcal vaccine candidate consisting of deoxycholate-extracted outer membrane vesicles (OMV) from representative African disease isolates was previously found to be highly immunogenic in outbred mice when formulated with the adjuvant aluminium hydroxide (AH). OMV has been shown to have inherent adjuvant properties. In order to study the importance of AH and genetical differences between mice strains on immune responses, we compared the immunogenicity of the A + W OMV vaccine when formulated with or without AH in inbred C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ mice (Th1 and Th2 dominant strains, respectively). The immunogenicity of the vaccine was found to be comparable in the two mice strains despite their different immune profiles. Adsorption to AH increased anti-OMV IgG levels and serum bactericidal activity (SBA). The immune responses were increased by each dose for the adsorbed vaccine, but the third dose did not significantly improve the immunogenicity further. Thus, a vaccine formulation with the A and W OMV will likely benefit from including AH as adjuvant.

Mejoras en el ensayo de potencia de Bordetella pertussis / Improvements in the potency assay of Bordetella pertussis

La potencia del componente pertussis, presente en la vacuna DPT-vax, se evalúa mediante el ensayo de Kendrick. La cepa recomendada por OMS para este ensayo es Bordetella pertussis 18 323, la cual debe ser conservada de manera que se asegure su viabilidad, pureza y virulencia. Como parte de dicho ensayo debe calcularse la concentración de una suspensión de la cepa, cuya opacidad se compara a simple vista con la 5ta Preparación Internacional de Referencia de Opacidad. Este método es muy inexacto y con frecuencia conduce a errores. En este trabajo se elaboró y caracterizó un lote de siembra de Bordetella. pertussis 18 323; se calculó la concentración de dicha cepa empleando una curva de calibración. El lote se empleó en ocho ensayos de potencia y en los mismos se cumplieron los criterios de validez establecidos(AU)

Potency of pertussis component, present in DPT-vax, is evaluated by Kendrick assay. Strain Bordetella pertussis 18323 is recommended by WHO, which should be stored in a way that ensures its viability, purity and virulence. As part of the assay, the concentration of a strain suspension should be calculated, which opacity is compared at first sight with the Fifth Reference International Preparation of Opacity. This method is very inexact and frequently leads to errors. A seed lot from Bordetella. pertussis 18323 was elaborated and characterized in this study and the concentration of the strain using a calibration curve was calculated. The lot was used in eight potency assays and they complied with established validity criterion(AU)

A proteoliposome formulation derived from Bordetella pertussis induces protection in two murine challenge models.

Whooping cough remains a health problem despite high vaccination coverage. It has been recommended that development of new strategies provide long-lasting immunity. The aim of this work was to evaluate the potential of proteoliposomes (PL) extracted from Bordetella pertussis as a vaccine candidate against whooping cough. The size of the B. pertussis PL was estimated to be 96.7 ± 50.9 nm by Scanning Correlation Spectroscopy and the polydispersity index was 0.268. Western blots using monoclonal antibodies revealed the presence of pertussis toxin, pertactin, and fimbriae 3. The Limulus Amebocyte Lisate (LAL) assay showed endotoxin levels lower than those reported for whole cell pertussis licensed vaccines, while the Pyrogen Test indicated 75 ng/mL/Kg. The PL showed high protection capacity in mouse challenge models. There was 89.7% survival in the intracerebral challenge and total reduction of the number of CFU in the intranasal challenge. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed between mice immunized with B. pertussis PL and the Cuban DTwP vaccine, whichever challenge model used. These results encouraged us to continue the development of the B. pertussis PL as a component of a new combined vaccine formulated with tetanus and diphtheria toxoids or as a booster dose for adolescents and adults.

Estandarización de ensayos inmunoenzimáticos (ELISA) para la cuantificación de anticuerpos IgG inducidos por una vacuna de vesículas de membrana externa de los serogrupos A y W135 de Neisseria meningitidis / Standardization of immunoenzimatic assays (ELISA) for the quantitative determination of IgG antibodies elicited by an-outer-membrane-vesicle vaccine from Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A and W13

La enfermedad meningocócica es una afección invasiva, de amplia incidencia mundial, cuyo agente causal es la bacteria gramnegativa Neisseria meningitidis . Existen vacunas polisacarídicas sin conjugar o conjugadas, contra cuatro de los cinco serogrupos responsables del 95 por ciento de los casos en el mundo. Para el serogrupo B, cuyo polisacárido es pobremente inmunogénico, se han evaluado varios candidatos vacunales producidos a base de vesículas de membrana externa. La determinación de la actividad bactericida y la cuantificación de IgG por ELISA han sido los métodos más utilizados en la medición de la respuesta inmune generada por vacunas contra la meningitis meningocócica. El segundo de estos métodos es utilizado en el Instituto Finlay como ensayo de inmunogenicidad para la liberación de lotes de VA-MENGOC-BC®. Como parte de una colaboración con investigadores noruegos, se trabaja en la obtención de un candidato vacunal contra los serogrupos A y W135 , basado en vesículas de membrana externa. En el presente trabajo se describe la estandarización de un ELISA para ser utilizado en la evaluación de la respuesta inmune del candidato vacunal bivalente

Invasive meningococcal disease constitutes a worldwide health problem. Gram negative bacteria, Neisseria meningitidis is the causal agent of this disease. Plain or conjugated polysaccharide vaccines are available against four of five serogroups responsible of more than 95 percent of cases in the world. Because serogroup B polysaccharide is non immunogenic, some vaccine candidates, based on outer membrane proteins have been obtained and evaluated in clinical trials. Bactericidal activity determination and ELISA IgG have been used to evaluate immune response generated by antimeningococcal vaccines. The latter has been used, as potency test, to release VA-MENGOC-BC® vaccine lots, produced at Finlay Institute. As a result of the collaboration with Norwegian researchers, a vaccine candidate based on outer membrane proteins against serogroups A and W135, has been obtained and evaluated in animal models. The current work describes the standardization of an ELISA method to be used in the immune response evaluation of the bivalent vaccinal candidate(AU)

Validación de un ELISA tipo inhibición para cuantificar polisacárido Vi en la vacuna antitifoídica cubana vax-TyVi / Validation of an inhibition-type ELISA for quantifying Vi polysaccharide content in the Cuban

Se describe la validación de un ELISA tipo inhibición, reportado por primera vez en la literatura científica para cuantificar un antígeno vacunal: el polisacárido Vi de Salmonella Typhi, para ser empleado en el control de la calidad de la vacuna antitifoídica cubana vax-TyVi‚. El ensayo consta de seis pasos: 1) Recubrimiento de placa de reacción con poli-L-lisina y posteriormente polisacárido Vi; 2) Bloqueo con leche descremada; 3) Inhibición o neutralización en tubos de suero anti-Vi de conejo, respectivamente, con polisacárido Vi de Curva de Calibración (concentraciones desde 1–32 µg/mL), control positivo y muestras de vacuna (3 diluciones); 4) Neutralización de anticuerpos anti-Vi libres, presentes en las mezclas anteriores, por el Polisacárido de Recubrimiento; 5) Reconocimiento de anticuerpos anti-Vi unidos a la placa (conjugado anti-IgG de conejo-fosfatasa alcalina) y 6) Revelado por reacción enzima-sustrato. Los parámetros de validación estudiados y sus resultados fueron: 1) Precisión, expresada como coeficiente de variación a tres niveles de concentración de polisacárido, comprendidos en el rango de su especificación (35, 50 y 70 µg/mL) y evaluada en términos de repetibilidad; precisión intraensayos (cuatro analistas) y reproducibilidad (seis analistas): £ 20por ciento; 2) Linealidad (100*R2): 99,68 por ciento; 3) Límite de detección: 0,5 µg/mL; 4) Exactitud (recuperación para las tres diluciones de la muestra: entre 100 y 118por ciento), y 5) Robustez: no influye 1,5 h de bloqueo (p = 0,52) ni ± 5 min para leer placa (p = 0,56); influye grandemente la calidad del agua (p = 0,026), a favor del agua para inyección. El ensayo es adecuado para los fines propuestos y es una medida de la inmunogenicidad in vitro del polisacárido Vi(AU)