Human immunoglobulin G subclass immune response to outer membrane antigens in meningococcal group B vaccine.

The immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclass distribution of antibodies against the major outer membrane proteins from serotype 2a Neisseria meningitidis in human vaccinees was studied by immunoblotting. The volunteers received two doses of a noncovalent complex of group B polysaccharide and outer membrane material from the same meningococcal strain. Six weeks after the first vaccination the antibodies mounted against the class 1 and 5 proteins belonged mainly to the IgG1 and IgG3 subclasses. However, the binding of IgG3 to the class 5 proteins decreased markedly in serum samples taken after 25 weeks. Antibody binding to the serotype-specific class 2 protein was dependent on renaturation of the antigen by a dipolar ionic detergent (R. E. Mandrell and W. D. Zollinger, J. Immunol. Methods 67:1-11, 1984). The immune response against this protein showed more individual variation and consisted of IgG1 or IgG3 or both, often combined with IgG4.