Analyses of the immunoaccessibility of H8 antigen and the functionality of H8 specific monoclonal antibody 10.

The immunoaccessibility of the H8 antigen was examined as was the functionality of H8 specific monoclonal antibody (McAb 10). Immunoaccessibility of H8 varied among individual gonococci grown in vitro; the overall degree of variability was strain dependent. The H8 antigen was detected on the surface of most but not all gonococci found in urine sediment from an infected volunteer. The H8 specific McAb 10 was not bactericidal for strains of serum resistant gonococci; in the serum sensitive strain, an increase of approximately .5 logs above the bactericidal activity of antibody depleted normal human serum was observed. It is possible that the apparent paradox of the common, immunogenic, antigenic surface constituent H8 may be resolved in part by variation in immunoaccessibility within and among gonococcal strains.