Immunogenic properties of soluble antigens or whole cells of Brucella abortus strain 45/20 associated with immunoadjuvants. I. Soluble antigens.

A purified protein derivative-live preparation of Brucella abortus strain 45/20 was tested for immunogenic properties either alone, after lipid conjugation, or in association with defined adjuvants. The adjuvants were trehalose dimycolate (cord factor), isolated from wax D of mycobacteria and murmyl dipeptide (N-acetyl-muramyl-L-alamyl-D-isoglutamine), a synthetic glycopeptide analog of peptidoglycan subunits found in many bacterial cell walls and wax D of mycobacteria. Guinea pigs were intradermally inoculated with a single injection of the vaccine preparations eight weeks before intramuscular challenge with B. abortus, strain 2308. None of the purified protein derivative-like preparations were as effective in the prevention of splenic infections with B. abortus as were killed whole cells of strain 45/20 in Freund's complete adjuvant. Whole cells in Freund's complete adjuvant were able to reduce mean colony counts by 97% (P = 0.02), while purified protein derivative-like vaccines were able to reduce mean colony counts by only 32 to 61% as compared to control animals. Results suggest that purified protein derivative-like preparations have limited immunogenic properties under present test conditions.