Abstract
Group B streptococci (GBS) are a major cause of sepsis and meningitis in the newborn. Neonatal susceptibility to GBS infection appears to be associated with a deficiency of opsonic antibody to GBS. The present studies were designed to determine if human antibodies protective for one type III GBS strain provide uniform protection for other type III strains. IgG was affinity purified from pooled human immunoglobulin using a staphylococcal protein A immunoabsorbant. The relative titers of IgG antibodies to group B and type III (native and core) antigens were determined. To evaluate protection, suckling rats were challenged S.Q. with each of 4 different clinical isolates of GBS type III followed immediately by various concentrations of purified IgG given IP. With 5 or 10 μg of IgG significant survival occurred in animals challenged with one strain (17/20, 85%), whereas this amount of antibody afforded no protection against the other 3 strains (0/27). Administration of 20 μg of IgG provided some protection for 2 of these strains (7/23, 3/9), but uniform lethality occurred with the fourth strain even when more than 40 μg IgG was given. These studies demonstrate that four type III GBS strains require different amounts of human IgG for protection. Strain variability must be examined in future investigations of vaccine induced or passively acquired IgG for protection against GBS disease.
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Fischer, G., Wilson, S., Hunter, K. et al. 1002 QUANTITATIVE PROTECTION STUDIES IN A SUCKLING PAT MODEL OF GROUP B STREPTCCOCCAL SEPSIS. Pediatr Res 15 (Suppl 4), 609 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-01028
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-01028