Open AccessSeric and secretory antibodies reactive to α, β and γ intimins of Escherichia coli in healthy Brazilian adults
Author(s) -
ZapataQuintanilla Lucy Beatriz,
TinoDeFranco Milene,
Nuñez Silvia Patricia,
Carbonare Cristiane Barros,
Vulcano Amanda Bardella,
Carbonare Solange Barros
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
fems immunology & medical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1574-695X
pISSN - 0928-8244
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-695x.2009.00576.x
Subject(s) - intimin , antibody , biology , escherichia coli , microbiology and biotechnology , enteropathogenic escherichia coli , antigen , colostrum , virology , immunoglobulin g , immunoglobulin a , enterobacteriaceae , immunology , genetics , gene
Intimin is essential for attaching and effacing lesions by pathogens such as enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), and the antigenic polymorphism of intimin determines distinct subtypes. Our aim was to investigate the presence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA antibodies reactive to α, β and γ intimins in serum and colostrum from healthy Brazilian adults. We found seric IgG and secretory IgA antibodies reactive to conserved and variable regions of α, β and γ intimins and a positive correlation between the concentrations of these antibodies in both serum and colostrum that suggested cross reactivity among anti‐intimin antibodies, as was confirmed by immunoblotting and absorption. The concentrations of anti‐conserved region antibodies were higher than those of variable region antibodies. The presence of antibodies reactive to EHEC antigens could result from contact with EPEC or with other bacteria of the environment even though this bacterium is not frequent in Brazil, and suggests possible protection against EHEC.