Heesemann J, Schröder J, Ulrich M
Institute of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Hamburg, F.R.G.
Microb Pathog. 1988 Dec;5(6):437-47. doi: 10.1016/0882-4010(88)90005-8.
The antibody response was analysed in rabbits oro-gastrically infected (i) with virulent-(plasmid-carrying) Yersinia enterocolitica 0:3 (v-rabbits) and (ii) with the avirulent (plasmid-cured) derivative (av-rabbits). In an immunoblot assay with whole cell lysate proteins from the infecting virulent Yersinia strain, a significant IgG response was evident in convalescent-sera of v-rabbits and of av-rabbits, demonstrating that all rabbits seroconverted. However, v-rabbits mounted a stronger immune response to the cell lysate proteins than av-rabbits and the immune response persisted for a longer time. The post-challenge sera also reacted with whole cell lysate proteins of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium, indicating cross-reactivity between the different members of Enterobacteriaceae. In contrast, the antibody response against plasmid-encoded released proteins (RPs) appeared specific for infection with virulent strains in that the sera of av-rabbits failed to recognize the plasmid-encoded proteins. Six days following challenge with the virulent Yersinia strain all animals mounted a serum IgM and IgA response to RPs, followed by IgG antibodies on day 9. While the IgM and IgA serum antibody response rapidly decreased (within five-seven and eight-ten months, respectively), IgG antibodies to RPs were still present one year after challenge. Fourteen months after the first infection both the av-rabbits and the v-rabbits were reinfected with the virulent Yersinia strain and the antibody response to RPs was monitored. The v-rabbits only responded with a significant increase of IgG antibodies, indicating that they were primed to the RPs whereas the av-rabbits produced IgM, IgA and IgG specific antibodies like those seen in the primary response of v-rabbits. This study indicates that the rabbit model is helpful and adequate to analyse the character and kinetics of the antibody response during Yersinia infection.
对经口胃感染的兔子的抗体反应进行了分析，这些兔子分别：(i) 感染了有毒力的（携带质粒的）小肠结肠炎耶尔森氏菌0:3（v组兔子）；(ii) 感染了无毒力的（质粒清除的）衍生物（av组兔子）。在用感染性有毒力耶尔森氏菌菌株的全细胞裂解物蛋白进行的免疫印迹分析中，v组兔子和av组兔子的恢复期血清中均出现了显著的IgG反应，表明所有兔子都发生了血清转化。然而，v组兔子对细胞裂解物蛋白产生的免疫反应比av组兔子更强，且免疫反应持续时间更长。攻毒后的血清也与大肠杆菌和鼠伤寒沙门氏菌的全细胞裂解物蛋白发生反应，表明肠杆菌科不同成员之间存在交叉反应。相比之下，针对质粒编码的释放蛋白（RPs）的抗体反应似乎对有毒力菌株的感染具有特异性，因为av组兔子的血清未能识别质粒编码的蛋白。在用有毒力的耶尔森氏菌菌株攻毒6天后，所有动物对RPs产生了血清IgM和IgA反应，随后在第9天产生了IgG抗体。虽然IgM和IgA血清抗体反应迅速下降（分别在5 - 7个月和8 - 10个月内），但攻毒一年后针对RPs的IgG抗体仍然存在。首次感染14个月后，av组兔子和v组兔子均再次感染有毒力的耶尔森氏菌菌株，并监测对RPs的抗体反应。v组兔子仅表现为IgG抗体显著增加，表明它们对RPs产生了免疫记忆，而av组兔子产生了IgM、IgA和IgG特异性抗体，类似于v组兔子初次反应时所见。这项研究表明，兔子模型有助于且适用于分析耶尔森氏菌感染期间抗体反应的特征和动力学。
