Human immune response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa mucoid exopolysaccharide (alginate) vaccine

Abstract

Chronic lung infection with mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the major pathologic feature of cystic fibrosis. Previous studies suggested that a failure to produce opsonic antibody to the mucoid exopolysaccharide (MEP; also called alginate) capsule is associated with the maintenance of chronic bacterial infection. Provision of MEP-specific opsonic antibodies has therapeutic potential. To evaluate the ability of MEP to elicit opsonic antibodies, humans were immunized with two lots of MEP vaccine that differed principally in molecular size. Lot 2 had a larger average MEP polymer size. Both vaccines were well tolerated, but lot 1 was poorly immunogenic, inducing long-lived opsonic antibodies in only 2 of 28 vaccinates given doses of 10 to 150 micrograms. In contrast, at the optimal dose of 100 micrograms, lot 2 elicited long-lived opsonic antibodies in 80 to 90% of the vaccinates. The antibodies elicited by both lots enhanced deposition of C3 onto mucoid P. aeruginosa cells and mediated opsonic killing of heterologous mucoid strains expressing distinct MEP antigens. These results indicate that the polymers of MEP with the largest molecular sizes safely elicit opsonic antibodies in a sufficiently large proportion of vaccinates to permit studies of active and passive immunization of cystic fibrosis patients against infection with mucoid P. aeruginosa.