Assignment of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A and C class-specific anticapsular antibody concentrations to the new standard reference serum CDC1992.

A new standard meningococcal reference serum designated CDC1992 was prepared to replace meningococcal reference sera ECG and PB-2, which are not available in sufficient quantities for continued use as primary reference sera. CDC1992 was prepared from 14 healthy adult volunteers who underwent plasmapheresis 4 to 12 weeks postvaccination with a single dose of a Neisseria meningitidis quadrivalent polysaccharide vaccine. Total and/or class-specific meningococcal serogroup A and C anticapsular antibody concentrations (in micrograms per milliliter) were assigned to CDC1992 by using homologous and heterologous enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) formats. The reference serum ECG was used as a reference standard to assign total anticapsular antibody concentrations to CDC1992 by a homologous ELISA format. A heterologous ELISA format, with the Haemophilus influenzae type b standard reference serum FDA 1983, was used to assign total and class-specific antibody concentrations to CDC1992. Alkaline phosphatase-labeled mouse anti-human monoclonal antibody conjugates were used as secondary antibodies in both ELISA formats. The total, immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA, and IgM antibody concentrations, assigned to CDC1992 for serogroup A were 135.8, 91.8, 20.1, and 23.9 micrograms/ml, respectively, and those for serogroup C were 32.0, 24.1, 5.9, and 2.0 micrograms/ml, respectively. Meningococcal serogroup A and C antibody concentrations were in good agreement when homologous and heterologous ELISA format results were compared. Total and class-specific serogroup A and C antibody concentrations were determined in six adult quality control serum samples from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by using the homologous ELISA and our assigned antibody concentrations for CDC1992. Antibody concentrations in reference sera ECG and PB-2 were measured in order to provide a historical link to previous studies. The general acceptance of CDC1992 as the standard reference serum and the assigned antibody concentrations will allow investigators to compare antibody levels in serum to those in a single reference preparation.

A trial of a group A plus group C meningococcal polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine in African infants.

The safety and immunogenicity of a group A plus group C meningococcal polysaccharide-CRM197 conjugate vaccine was evaluated in 304 8- to 10-week-old Gambian infants. Infants were immunized with one, two, or three doses of conjugate vaccine or with two doses of a meningococcal A plus C polysaccharide vaccine. The conjugate vaccine produced few systemic side effects, and local reactions were similar to those produced by the polysaccharide vaccine. Postvaccination group A meningococcal polysaccharide antibody levels, measured by ELISA, increased progressively after one, two, or three doses of conjugate vaccine. However, one dose of conjugate vaccine given at the age of 6 months induced a higher group C meningococcal antibody response than did two doses of conjugate vaccine given at 2 and 6 months. Two doses of conjugate vaccine induced higher levels of antibody than did two doses of polysaccharide vaccine. Thus, this new meningococcal conjugate vaccine proved to be safe and immunogenic.