Abstract
Shigella infections are characterized by invasion of epithelial surfaces. A 140 megadalton plasmid was shown to be responsible for the expression of virulence. This plasmid encodes several outer membrane proteins, which are absent in the plasmid free avirulent organisms. As invasion does not occur in immune subjects, it seemed of interest to study the immune response to the plasmid coded proteins (PCP), and to compare it with the response to the somatic antigen, lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
Five monkeys were infected by a S. flexneri 2a strain. Blood was drawn at 0,7,14,30 days post infection. Rectal biopsies were taken at the same time, and cultured for 24 hrs. Blood and culture media immunoglobulins were measured and characterized by ELISA and immunoblotting techniques.
PCP were found to be of major importance in the immune response IgG serum antibody to PCP reached a higher titer than that to LPS, and persisted longer. A similar IgA and IgG response was found in the intestine. Four PCP proteins were recognized by most animals, as determined by immunoblotting.
This new information suggests that the PCP serve a major role in the host response to infection, and deserve further studies to clarify their role in the pathogenesis of shigellosis.
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Dinari, G., Hale, T. & Formal, S. THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO SHIGELLA FLEXNERI 2A INFECTION IN MONKEYS. Pediatr Res 20, 690 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198607000-00027
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198607000-00027