Use of a mouse lung challenge model to identify antigens protective against Chlamydia pneumoniae lung infection

J Infect Dis. 2000 Jun:181 Suppl 3:S544-51. doi: 10.1086/315605.

Abstract

Chlamydia pneumoniae is emerging as a significant human pathogen. Infection causes a range of respiratory tract diseases and is associated with atherosclerosis. A vaccine could provide a considerable public health benefit; however, antigens able to elicit a protective immune response are largely unknown. A panel of open-reading frames (ORFs) from the C. pneumoniae genome sequence was screened for ability to elicit protective responses. Balb/c mice immunized with DNA containing the ORFs were tested for their ability to limit lung infection following an intranasal challenge. Immunization with DNA encoding the major outer membrane protein or an ADP/ATP translocase (Npt1(Cp)) of C. pneumoniae resulted in a reduced bacteria load in the lung after challenge. The identification of these antigens as protective is a significant step toward development of a C. pneumoniae vaccine and demonstrates the feasibility of using a DNA immunization strategy to screen the C. pneumoniae genome for other protective ORFs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Bacterial / immunology*
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / immunology
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / immunology
  • Bacterial Vaccines / immunology
  • Chlamydia Infections / prevention & control*
  • Chlamydophila pneumoniae / genetics
  • Chlamydophila pneumoniae / immunology*
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Humans
  • Lung / microbiology
  • Lung Diseases / prevention & control*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Open Reading Frames / genetics
  • Open Reading Frames / immunology
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / prevention & control*
  • Vaccination
  • Vaccines, DNA / immunology

Substances

  • Antigens, Bacterial
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Bacterial Vaccines
  • Vaccines, DNA