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Control of Immunologically Crossreactive Leptospiral Infection by Administration of Lipopolysaccharides from a Nonpathogenic Strain of Leptospira biflexa
Author(s) -
Matsuo Kouki,
Isogai Emiko,
Araki Yoshio
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2000.tb02579.x
Subject(s) - leptospira interrogans , leptospira , antiserum , biology , hamster , antigen , microbiology and biotechnology , leptospirosis , direct agglutination test , lipopolysaccharide , immunization , serotype , epitope , virology , antibody , immunology , serology
In our previous paper (Matsuo, K., Isogai, E., and Araki, Y., Carbohydr. Res., 328: 517–524, 2000), antigenic polysaccharides obtained from the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) fraction of a nonpathogenic leptospira, Leptospira biflexa patoc Patoc I, are shown to be broadly crossreactable with most rabbit antisera elicited by immunization with various pathogenic leptospires. The result led us to test a protective effect of the same LPS in a hamster model system by heterologously challenging with a pathogenic leptospira, L. interrogans manilae UP‐MMG. Firstly, a similarity in the antigenic epitopes of L. biflexa and L. interrogans was confirmed by the following assays. In the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), a hamster antiserum elicited by immunization with the L. biflexa ‐LPS preparation was shown to agglutinate cells of L. interrogans . Contrarily, in the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the L. biflexa ‐LPS preparation was shown to crossreact with a hamster antiserum elicited by immunization with whole cells of L. interrogans . These results suggest that the same or closely related antigens may be present on the cell surfaces of both L. biflexa patoc Patoc I and L. interrogans manilae UP‐MMG. Furthermore, in a protective assay, the prior administration of a L. biflexa ‐LPS preparation resulted in raising a protective response in hamsters against challenge by L. interrogans without any side effect. The protective effect was strongly dependent on the dose amounts and/or administration times of L. biflexa ‐LPS. Thus, L. biflexa ‐LPS preparations can use as a potent vaccine against leptospirosis caused by various leptospires.