Serum bactericidal activity in a secondary school

Authors: Zorgani AA James VS Stewart J Blackwell CC Elton RA Weir DM

Publish Date: 1996/06/01

Volume: 14, Issue: 2-3, Pages: 73-81

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Abstract

AA Zorgani VS James J Stewart CC Blackwell RA Elton DM Weir Serum bactericidal activity in a secondary school population following an outbreak of meningococcal disease effects of carriage and secretor status FEMS Immunology Medical Microbiology Volume 14 Issue 23 June 1996 Pages 73–81 https//doiorg/101111/j1574695X1996tb00273xSera obtained from 106 children following an outbreak of Neisseria meningitidis B4P115 were screened for bactericidal antibodies against isolates of meningococci and Neisseria lactamica Most had high titres of antibodies to N lactamica and N meningitidis NG4— but not to capsulate isolates B4P115 B15P116 B4 C4– Bactericidal activity was higher for both carriers and secretors but the differences were not significant Bactericidal activity was not associated with total or specific IgA or IgM Carriers had significantly higher levels of IgG to N lactamica but not to NG4— in sera with bactericidal activity for each of the capsulate strains Among noncarriers higher levels of IgG to N lactamica were associated with killing of B4P115 and B4– Secretors sera with bactericidal activity had significantly higher levels of IgG to N lactamica compared with sera that were not bactericidal This was not observed among nonsecretors Antibodies to the outbreak strain were adsorbed by all Neisseria isolates tested and absorption of sera with N lactamica alone completely removed the bactericidal activity against the outbreak strain

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