Mucosal immunization with purified OmpA elicited protective immunity against infections caused by multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is a rapidly emerging pathogen causing infections with high mortality rates due to inadequate medical treatment. New ways to prevent and treat such infections are of a critical medical need. In this study, intranasal vaccination with A. baumannii outer membrane protein A (OmpA) induced both systemic and mucosal antibodies. After challenge intraperitoneally by clinical strains of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii, mice immunized with OmpA had a significantly higher survival rate than control mice. The OmpA protein level tested positive by western blot in clinical strains of A. baumannii. Furthermore, characterization of human sera for anti-OmpA immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels demonstrated that OmpA protein was immunogenic in healthy individuals and patients with A. baumannii invasive infections. In conclusion, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study protective efficacy of mucosal immunization with OmpA as a protein antigen against multidrug-resistant A. Baumannii.