细菌蛋白的免疫学特性及其作为多糖蛋白结合疫苗载体的可行性

多糖蛋白结合疫苗(polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine)是将病原菌的荚膜多糖与载体蛋白通过共价结合的方式制备而成的疫苗。在上市的多糖蛋白结合疫苗中,载体蛋白(carrier protein)预先接种或共同接种时可能介导免疫干扰,降低结合物中多糖的免疫应答,影响疫苗接种效果。另外,多糖作为疫苗抗原有血清型别的限制,疫苗中所含的血清型别无法保护所有型别的细菌感染。因此,考虑将细菌自身具有保护性的抗原蛋白作为载体蛋白,其中,肺炎链球菌溶血素蛋白、金黄色葡萄球菌蛋白、B群链球菌菌毛蛋白和沙门菌表面蛋白都是目前经过实验室证实的具有免疫原性的载体蛋白。现对这些细菌蛋白的免疫学特性及其作为多糖蛋白结合疫苗载体的可行性作一概述。     

超声波及脱蛋白处理对猴头菌子实体多糖提取效果的影响

本研究以猴头菌子实体为供试材料,在采用水提醇沉法进行多糖提取的过程中,系统研究了超声波和脱蛋白处理两个关键工艺环节对多糖提取效果的影响。研究结果表明：采用超声波辅助处理可提高猴头菌多糖提取率,降低多糖的纯度,使部分由蒸馏水洗脱获得的HEFP-α组分与全部0.1mol/L NaCl洗脱获得的HEFP-β组分经Sephacryl-S400洗脱后的曲线的小峰面积增加,也使主峰处的吸光值出现偏移。3种脱蛋白方法中,复合法对蛋白的除去效率最高,但多糖的保留率最低;亚铁氰化钾-乙酸锌法操作简便且蛋白除去率与多糖保留率均较高,但会使HEFP-β-2组分的含量和回收率降低;Sevage法蛋白脱除效率最低,多糖组分的保留率相对较高,且柱洗脱后发现经Sephacryl-S400凝胶柱分离后获得的主峰整体峰值较高,该方法较为适合多糖活性组分未知时的蛋白脱除。这一研究结果将会为该类大型真菌子实体的大分子生物活性物质的提取以及相关产品的开发提供重要的参考依据。     

载体蛋白对多糖蛋白结合疫苗中多糖免疫应答的影响研究

多糖蛋白结合疫苗的研发及成功上市是预防细菌性传染病(bacterial infectious diseases)的突破,目前已批准上市的多糖蛋白结合疫苗主要有b型流感嗜血杆菌结合疫苗、肺炎球菌结合疫苗和脑膜炎球菌结合疫苗.载体蛋白的选择是多糖蛋白结合疫苗的免疫原性增强的关键因素,目前获批上市的疫苗主要使用的载体蛋白有破...     

顶空气相色谱法测定四价脑膜炎球菌多糖蛋白结合疫苗中残余二氧六环

目的建立并验证四价脑膜炎球菌多糖蛋白结合疫苗中残余二氧六环的检测方法。方法采用顶空气相色谱法,样品中加入碳酸钠固体,产生"盐析"效应,以增加二氧六环在顶空瓶中的浓度。通过HP-5毛细管柱(30 m×0.32 mm×0.25μm,5%Phenyl Methyl-Siloxane),氢火焰检测器测定四价脑膜炎球菌多糖蛋白结合疫苗中残余二氧六环。结果二氧六环平均回收率及变异系数分别为86.16%～106.54%和2.4%～8.7%,在0.5004～40.032mg/L范围内相关系数值r=0.999 41,线性关系好,最低检测限为0.5 mg/L,最低定量限为2.5 mg/L。结论该方法溶剂用量少、灵敏度高、出峰特异、专属性强、色谱峰型好、分离度高、出峰时间短、影响因素少,是一种易于实现仪器自动化的分析方法。     

皱皮木瓜多糖的分离、纯化及抗氧化活性研究

为了研究木瓜多糖的提取、分离、纯化与抗氧化活性,采用水提醇沉法提取皱皮木瓜中的多糖,得多糖Ⅰ;利用Sevag法除去多糖中的蛋白质后得多糖Ⅱ;以30%H_2O_2脱除色素后再次醇沉得到精制多糖Ⅲ;透析除去小分子后利用AB-8大孔树脂进行分离以水、30%、50%、70%和95%乙醇洗脱,其中水洗脱部分多糖为Ⅳ。用苯酚-硫酸法测定多糖含量。多糖Ⅰ得率为9.83%,多糖含量(纯度,下同)为64.45%;脱蛋白后多糖Ⅱ中多糖含量为78.23%;经脱色后多糖Ⅲ含量达88.39%;大孔树脂水洗脱部分多糖Ⅳ含量为89.74%。以DPPH(2,2-二苯基-1-苦肼基)清除率和Fe~(3+)还原力方法测定木瓜多糖的抗氧化活性,木瓜多糖均体现出一定的抗氧化作用,呈浓度依赖性增强,其中多糖Ⅰ、Ⅱ表现出更好的作用。     

O2血清型肺炎克雷伯氏菌多糖结合疫苗的生物合成

本研究旨在利用微生物体内合成肺炎克雷伯氏菌 (Klebsiella pneumoniae,Kp) 多糖结合疫苗并研究其保护效果。通过敲除Kp O抗原连接酶基因waaL阻断其LPS合成,再向缺失株中导入糖基工程载体,使细菌能够在体内合成糖蛋白,并将该糖蛋白免疫小鼠后评价其保护效果。结果表明,在构建的 Kp waaL缺失株中导入糖基工程载体后,底物蛋白重组霍乱毒素B亚单位rCTB (Recombinant cholera toxin B subunit) 能够被O糖化,从而得到糖蛋白;动物实验结果显示该疫苗能刺激小鼠产生较高的抗体效价,试验组小鼠攻毒后一周存活率可达75%。这种生物合成方法制备的多糖结合疫苗有望成为针对肺炎克雷伯氏菌的新型候选疫苗。     

不同蛋白载体的痢疾多糖结合疫苗小鼠免疫原性对比试验

试验中以小鼠为动物模型,对不同蛋白载体的痢疾多糖结合疫苗进行免疫效果观察。3种福氏2a痢疾结合疫苗和3种宋内氏痢疾结合疫苗分别皮下免疫NIH小鼠,同时设置O-SP(O-特异性多糖)对照组,免疫3针,在不同免疫针次间采血,用ELISA测定抗体滴度。单独使用福氏2aO-SP和宋内氏O-SP免疫后,小鼠血清中几乎没有抗LPS IgG抗体产生,而用结合疫苗免疫后,小鼠血清中产生了抗LPS IgG抗体,且第二次、第三次免疫后,小鼠血清中抗LPS IgG抗体水平有显著升高,表明结合疫苗具有加强免疫应答效应。三种不同的痢疾结合疫苗相比较,F2a-O-SP-rEPA结合疫苗较F2a-O-SP-TT结合疫苗和F2a-0-SP—DT结合疫苗的小鼠抗LPS IgG抗体水平高,S-O-SP-rEPA结合疫苗较S-O-SP-TT结合疫苗和S-O-SP—CRM9,结合疫苗的小鼠抗LPS IgG抗体水平高。以rEPA作为载体的痢疾结合疫苗比DT,TT作为载体的痢疾结合疫苗的免疫原性要强。     

脑膜炎球菌多糖疫苗培养基的优化研究

目的探索A群、C群脑膜炎球菌多糖疫苗培养基的适宜配方。方法通过筛选改良培养基(配方2)中酸水解酪蛋白替代培养基配方1中原50%盐酸酪蛋白水解液制备相应的培养基,培养A群、C群脑膜炎球菌一定时间后,以收获的细菌浓度和复合多糖量来确定培养基的配比,并比较该培养基在不同温度条件下培养细菌的结果。结果在A群、C群脑膜炎球菌多糖疫苗不同培养基的细菌培养过程中,用酸水解酪蛋白制备的改良培养基(配方2)培养的细菌浓度和多糖收获量均高于其他培养基(配方1和配方3),用酸水解酪蛋白培养基能提高脑膜炎球菌的产量。结论以酸水解酪蛋白为主要原料(配方2)的改良培养基能作为流脑A群、C群细菌的最适培养基,且细菌在(37±0.2)℃培养情况良好。     

云芝菌丝体多糖的分离纯化研究

利用热水抽提从云芝菌丝体中提取胞内多糖,初步纯化后,用DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B进行分离,从中分离出两个带电荷多糖组分即CVP-I和CVP-Ⅱ,对这两个组分分别用Sepharose CL-6B凝胶柱层析进行纯度鉴定,均出现单一峰,然后用紫外扫描发现这两个组分均出现蛋白多糖的特征吸收,从而可以判断这两个组分是蛋白结合多糖。     

伤寒Vi多糖结合疫苗免疫小鼠后的抗体类型及动态分析

伤寒Vi多糖结合疫苗和Vi多糖疫苗分别免疫小鼠,分离血清,采用间接ELISA法测定不同时点血清中特异性IgA、IgM、IgG及其亚类(IgG1、IgG2a、IgG3)的抗体滴度。结果显示,免疫一针后,Vi多糖结合疫苗组的IgG抗体GMT值明显升高,第二针有加强效应(P<0.01);所测3种IgG亚型中IgG2a抗体滴度升高明显;Vi多糖和结合疫苗免疫小鼠后,血清中IgA和IgM抗体滴度均有显著升高,但无加强应答。显示Vi多糖结合疫苗在诱导小鼠血清IgG应答方面有加强效应。     

A novel Enzyme-Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA) for the quantification of total and free polysaccharide in Haemophilus influenzae b–Tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccines in monovalent and combined vaccine formulations

Current Haemophilus influenzae b conjugate vaccines (Hib), which are made of purified capsular polysaccharide (poly-ribosyl-ribitol-phosphate; PRP) conjugated to a carrier protein, are almost completely evaluated by physico-chemical methods to ensure the integrity and stability of the vaccine and consistency of manufacture of batches. The absence of a potency assay makes the quantification of total PRP content (in SI units) and of % free polysaccharide in final fills or bulk components of Hib vaccines critical release tests for both manufacturers and national control authorities. Here we describe a simple and sensitive Enzyme-Linked Immuno-sorbent Assay (ELISA) which has been developed to quantify total and free PRP content in Hib–TT vaccine alone or when in combination with other vaccines. The assay is robust, specific and highly sensitive.     

Quality control of polyvalent pneumococcal polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine by nephelometry.

A nephelometric method was used for quantitative analysis of individual polysaccharides (PSs) in a polyvalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine using CRM(197) as carrier protein. Using this method, the individual types 4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F and 23F PSs were found to range between 82.3 to 119% of the manufacturer's indicated values.During conjugation using reductive amination, pneumococcal PS was first oxidized to introduce aldehyde groups. Higher or lower levels of antigen-antibody reaction were observed in periodate activated and then reduced PS of some serotypes compared to non-treated PS. Use of oxidized and reduced PS may provide an early indication of change in conjugation process. Furthermore, since the final monovalent and polyvalent conjugate vaccines gradually change during the storage period, the nephelometry provides an useful analytical method for stability study of these vaccines.     

Experimental design to optimize an <Emphasis Type="Italic">Haemophilus influenzae</Emphasis> type b conjugate vaccine made with hydrazide-derivatized tetanus toxoid

The introduction of type b Haemophilus influenzae conjugate vaccines into routine vaccination schedules has significantly reduced the burden of this disease; however, widespread use in developing countries is constrained by vaccine costs, and there is a need for a simple and high-yielding manufacturing process. The vaccine is composed of purified capsular polysaccharide conjugated to an immunogenic carrier protein. To improve the yield and rate of the reductive amination conjugation reaction used to make this vaccine, some of the carboxyl groups of the carrier protein, tetanus toxoid, were modified to hydrazides, which are more reactive than the ε -amine of lysine. Other reaction parameters, including the ratio of the reactants, the size of the polysaccharide, the temperature and the salt concentration, were also investigated. Experimental design was used to minimize the number of experiments required to optimize all these parameters to obtain conjugate in high yield with target characteristics. It was found that increasing the reactant ratio and decreasing the size of the polysaccharide increased the polysaccharide:protein mass ratio in the product. Temperature and salt concentration did not improve this ratio. These results are consistent with a diffusion controlled rate limiting step in the conjugation reaction. Excessive modification of tetanus toxoid with hydrazide was correlated with reduced yield and lower free polysaccharide. This was attributed to a greater tendency for precipitation, possibly due to changes in the isoelectric point. Experimental design and multiple regression helped identify key parameters to control and thereby optimize this conjugation reaction.     

Immunogenicity of a Haemophilus influenzae polysaccharide-Neisseria meningitidis outer membrane protein complex conjugate vaccine

Polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines made with different carriers vary in their ability to elicit antipolysaccharide IgG antibody responses in young infants and an adult mouse model, suggesting that the carrier proteins used in the conjugate vaccines differ in their ability to act as carriers, or that additional mechanisms of immunogenicity play a role. A conjugate vaccine of Haemophilus influenzae PRP coupled to the outer membrane protein complex (OMPC) of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B is immunogenic in children as young as 2 mo of age and is immunogenic in infant rhesus monkeys, an animal model for infant humans. In the present study, PRP-OMPC was found to induce efficient IgM to IgG switching of anti-PRP serum antibody in adult mice, whereas PRP conjugated to two other protein carriers did not. Thus the PRP-OMPC conjugate was examined in order to determine why PRP coupled to OMPC was so immunogenic, even more immunogenic than conjugates made with other carrier proteins. The OMPC carrier differs from the other protein carriers in that the proteins are present in a liposomal form containing lipids (including LPS) derived from the outer membrane of N. meningitidis. We studied the OMPC to see whether the different components or the nature of the OMPC carrier could contribute to its enhanced immunogenicity. Specifically we evaluated the OMPC for both classic Th cell carrier activity and adjuvanticity, and the LPS component of OMPC for systemic polyclonal B cell activation. Carrier recognition of the OMPC moiety of PRP-OMPC was demonstrated. In addition the PRP-OMPC conjugate vaccine was observed to have adjuvant properties for both T cell-dependent and T cell-independent Ag in the absence of LPS-induced systemic polyclonal B cell activation. These observations suggest that in addition to functioning as a classic protein carrier whereby the proteins in OMPC provide Th cell epitopes, the OMPC also has adjuvant activity that distinguishes it from other protein carriers and may contribute to the increased immunogenicity of PRP-OMPC conjugates in animal models.     

Bordetella pertussis fimbriae are effective carrier proteins in Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C conjugate vaccines

Serogroup C meningococcal conjugate vaccines generally use diphtheria or tetanus toxoids as the protein carriers. The use of alternative carrier proteins may allow multivalent conjugate vaccines to be formulated into a single injection and circumvent potential problems of immune suppression in primed individuals. Bordetella pertussis fimbriae were assessed as carrier proteins for Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C polysaccharide. Fimbriae were conjugated to the polysaccharide using modifications of published methods and characterised by size exclusion chromatography; co-elution of protein and polysaccharide moieties confirmed conjugation. The conjugates elicited boostable IgG responses to fimbriae and serogroup C polysaccharide in mice, and IgG:IgM ratios indicated that the responses were thymus-dependent. High bactericidal antibody titres against a serogroup C strain of N. meningitidis were also observed. In a mouse infection model, the conjugate vaccine protected against lethal infection with N. meningitidis. Therefore, B. pertussis fimbriae are effective carrier proteins for meningococcal serogroup C polysaccharide and could produce a vaccine to protect against meningococcal disease and to augment protection against pertussis.     

Identification of glycosylated regions in pneumococcal PspA conjugated to serotype 6B capsular polysaccharide

Conjugate vaccines are being widely used since their introduction. Nowadays the interest in these vaccines is still growing and new antigens and conjugate chemistry are being studied and developed. Pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) is one of the most studied pneumococcal antigens and is an important vaccine candidate. One approach to broaden the conjugate vaccine coverage could be the conjugation of the polysaccharide to a pneumococcal protein such as PspA. Previous results have shown that conjugated recombinant fragment of PspA (rPspA) not only maintained but also in some conjugates improved the induction of protective antibodies raised against the protein carrier. We describe here a characterization study to identify the domains of Streptococcus pneumoniae recombinant PspA (rPspA), from family 1 clade 1 and family 2 clade 3, involved in the conjugation with serotype 6B capsular polysaccharide.     

Difficulties in Establishing a Serological Correlate of Protection After Immunization with Haemophilus Influenzae Conjugate Vaccines

Abstract. in several studies the protective concentration of anti-Haemophilus infiuenzae type b (Hib) capsular polysaccharide (PS) antibodies has been concluded to be around 0·04 to 0·20 μg/ml. After the Finnish Hib polysaccharide vaccine trial it was estimated that 1 μg/ml has to be achieved to predict long term protection after vaccination. These estimates of protective anti-Hib PS antibody concentrations were based on the assumption that protection from invasive Hib disease is mediated by antibodies and the role of cell-mediated immunity is negligible. This assumption was justified since the Hib PS is a T cell-independent antigen. The matter becomes quite different when the character of the PS vaccine is altered by conjugating it to a protein carrier, so that it acquires the ability to stimulate T cells, and the immunological memory plays a role in the protection. The immunized infants are thought to be able to respond with a rapid and high antibody response after exposure to the organism. After immunization with conjugate vaccines, protection can be seen at a lower serum antibody concentration than after polysaccharide vaccine. In addition, higher avidity of anti-Hib PS antibodies is associated with the response to conjugate than PS vaccine, and there are differences between the conjugates. This might have an influence on the functional activity of the antibodies. Hib conjugate vaccines are also able to reduce the carriage rate of Hib. This should be kept in mind when estimating what is needed from protective immune response after immunization with Hib conjugate vaccines.     

Synthesis and characterization of gentiobiose heptaacetate conjugate vaccines that produce endotoxin-neutralizing antibodies

We have prepared aminoethyl (AE), aminopropyl (AP), and aminopentyl (APT) derivatives of gentiobiose heptaacetate (GH). These spacer compounds (AEGH, APGH, APTGH) have been coupled to succinylated diphtheria toxoid (Suc.DT) to produce conjugate vaccines. These conjugates all bind to the anti-lipid A human monoclonal antibody A6(H4C5) in an ELISA binding assay. Rabbits immunized with the APGH conjugate vaccine in either Freund's complete adjuvant or aluminum hydroxide gel produced antibody levels of 5120 and 3600 ELISA units, respectively, compared to an antibody level of less than 20 ELISA units for the prebleed sera. Sera from mice immunized with either the aminopropyl or the aminopentyl conjugate had antibody levels of 5120 and 2560 ELISA antibody units, respectively. These antibodies neutralized endotoxin in a Limulus lysate neutralization assay. Protection against the local Shwartzman reaction was demonstrated (p less than 0.05) in eight out of nine rabbits immunized with the Suc-DT-APGH conjugate vaccine compared to three out of 10 rabbits immunized with the carrier protein Suc-DT. Passive transfer experiments demonstrated that four out of five rabbits receiving immune serum were protected from Shwartzman reaction compared to one out of five rabbits receiving normal serum (p less than 0.1). These results indicated that epitopes contained in gentiobiose heptaacetate when properly presented as conjugate vaccines were capable of inducing neutralizing antibodies against endotoxin.     

Modulation of carrier-induced epitopic suppression by Bordetella pertussis components and muramyl peptide

Synthetic antigens employed in experimental synthetic vaccines are generally small haptenic peptides. Therefore, effective immunization with these antigens usually requires the use of an immunogenic carrier. Tetanus toxoid has been proposed for use as a carrier in future synthetic vaccines due to its high immunogenicity and acceptance for human use. Previous studies employing standard hapten/carrier systems such as DNP/KLH have demonstrated, however, that an epitope-specific suppression occurs when mice previously primed with carrier are subsequently immunized with an haptenic epitope conjugated to the same carrier. These same studies have shown that Bordetella pertussis vaccine administered at the time of carrier priming abrogates epitopic suppression. In the present investigation, epitopic suppression was studied in a synthetic vaccine model employing tetanus toxoid as a carrier. Results from these studies indicated that mice primed with tetanus toxoid 1 month before immunization with a peptide-tetanus toxoid conjugate exhibited enhanced secondary anti-tetanus toxin responses but decreased anti-peptide responses. Furthermore, injection of pertussis vaccine or purified B. pertussis toxin or endotoxin at the time of carrier priming could block the establishment of epitopic suppression. Administration of B. pertussis components enhanced antibody responses to both the carrier and the synthetic peptides as compared with responses of control animals. In addition, administration of an adjuvant-active nonpyrogenic derivative of muramyl dipeptide. Murabutide, with carrier priming reduced epitopic suppression of anti-peptide responses. B. pertussis toxin or endotoxin administered to mice previously suppressed by carrier priming with the first injection of carrier-peptide conjugate overcame epitopic suppression with resultant titers of anti-peptide antibody equal to or greater than nonsuppressed controls. These results suggest that the use of adjuvants with future synthetic vaccines may contribute the additional advantage of overcoming epitopic suppression, thus permitting the use of common, well-tolerated carrier systems such as tetanus toxoid in synthetic vaccine preparations.