Salivary and Serum Antibody Response Against Neisseria meningitidis After Vaccination With Conjugate Polysaccharide Vaccines in Ethiopian Volunteers

Meningococcal conjugate vaccines induce serum antibodies crucial for protection against invasive disease. Salivary antibodies are believed to be important for hindering meningococcal acquisition and/or clearance of established carriage. In this study, we measured salivary IgA and IgG antibodies induced by vaccination with a monovalent serogroup A conjugate vaccine or a tetravalent A, C, W and Y conjugate vaccine, in comparison with antibody levels in serum. Saliva and serum samples from Ethiopian volunteers (1–29 years) collected before and eight times on a weekly basis after receiving the serogroup A conjugate vaccine, the tetravalent serogroup A, C, W and Y conjugate vaccine, or no vaccine (control group), were analysed using a multiplex microsphere immunoassay for antibody detection. Serogroup‐specific IgG antibody levels in saliva increased significantly after vaccination with both vaccines. The monovalent serogroup A vaccine also induced an increase in salivary IgA antibodies. A strong correlation between serogroup‐specific IgG antibodies in saliva and serum, and a somewhat lower correlation for IgA, was observed for all serogroups. There was also a strong correlation between specific secretory IgA and IgA antibodies in saliva for all serogroups. Meningococcal conjugate vaccines are able to elicit salivary antibodies against serogroup A, C, W and Y correlating with antibody levels in serum. The strong correlation between saliva and serum antibody levels indicates that saliva may be used as a surrogate of systemic antibody responses.