Molecular Bacteriology and Immunology Group, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom.
Vaccine. 2010 Nov 10;28(48):7667-75. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.09.038. Epub 2010 Sep 25.
Recombinant forms of Neisseria meningitidis factor H binding protein (fHBP) are undergoing clinical trials in candidate vaccines against serogroup B meningococcal disease. Little is known, however, about the host response to fHBP during natural carriage and disease. Here we report a longitudinal study of the antibody response to fHBP in healthy meningococcal carriers and non-carriers, and in patients with invasive meningococcal disease. Using a highly sensitive quantitative immunoassay, anti-fHBP antibodies were detected in sera from all healthy carriers and non-carriers. Carriers had significantly higher anti-fHBP antibody concentrations than non-carriers. Antibody responses similar to those seen in non-carrier subjects were detected in the sera of patients with invasive disease upon their admission to the hospital. The serum anti-fHBP antibody concentrations in these patients generally rose to reach levels similar to those seen in carriers. No correlation between levels of surface fHBP expressed in vitro by the infecting N. meningitidis strain and the magnitude of antibody responses was observed. These data suggest that fHBP is expressed in vivo during both carriage and invasive disease at levels high enough to elicit a robust antibody response.
脑膜炎奈瑟菌因子 H 结合蛋白（fHBP）的重组形式正在针对 B 群脑膜炎奈瑟球菌疾病的候选疫苗进行临床试验。然而，人们对 fHBP 在自然携带和疾病期间的宿主反应知之甚少。在这里，我们报告了一项针对健康脑膜炎球菌携带者和非携带者以及侵袭性脑膜炎球菌病患者的 fHBP 抗体反应的纵向研究。使用高度敏感的定量免疫测定法，在所有健康携带者和非携带者的血清中均检测到了抗 fHBP 抗体。携带者的抗 fHBP 抗体浓度明显高于非携带者。在这些患者入院时，侵袭性疾病患者的血清中检测到与非携带者受试者相似的抗体反应。这些患者的血清抗 fHBP 抗体浓度通常会升高，达到与携带者相似的水平。未观察到感染的脑膜炎奈瑟球菌菌株在体外表达的表面 fHBP 水平与抗体反应的大小之间存在相关性。这些数据表明，fHBP 在携带和侵袭性疾病期间均在体内表达，其水平足以引发强烈的抗体反应。
