Immunoprotective potential of polysaccharide-tetanus toxoid conjugate in Klebsiella pneumoniae induced lobar pneumonia in rats

The polysaccharide (PS) derived from K. pneumoniae NCTC 5055 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was covalently linked to tetanus toxoid by using carbodimide with adipic acid dihydrazide as a spacer molecule. The conjugate was found to be non-toxic and non-pyrogenic at 100 microg dose level. At a similar dose, the conjugate did not elicit any local skin reaction on intradermal preparatory injection in rabbits. The conjugate was immunoprotective as was evident from the decrease in relative colonization of bacteria in lungs of immunized rats as compared to the control animals. Immunization with the conjugate resulted in alveolar macrophage activation in terms of their ability to phagocytose bacteria in vitro.