Immunogenicity of meningococcal PBP2 during natural infection and protective activity of anti-PBP2 antibodies against meningococcal bacteraemia in mice.

Objective: To evaluate the immunogenicity of the meningococcal penicillin-binding protein 2 (PBP2) and its potential as a vaccine candidate.

Methods: The immunogenicity of meningococcal PBP2 was investigated using acute and convalescent sera from patients who recovered from meningococcal disease. Sera were tested against purified recombinant PBP2s corresponding to meningococcal isolates of different genetic lineages, of different serogroups and with various susceptibility levels to penicillin G.

Conserved virulence of C to B capsule switched Neisseria meningitidis clinical isolates belonging to ET-37/ST-11 clonal complex.

Capsule switching in Neisseria meningitidis is thought to occur by horizontal DNA exchange between meningococcal strains. Antigenic variants may be generated by allelic replacement of the siaD gene; the variants may then be selected by specific immunity against the capsular antigen. There were several vaccination campaigns against serogroup C in France in 2002, following an increase in the prevalence of invasive isolates of serogroup C of the phenotype C:2a:P1.

Neisseria meningitidis pili induce type-IIA phospholipase A2 expression in alveolar macrophages.

Induction of type-IIA secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2-IIA) expression by bacterial components other than lipopolysaccharide has not been previously investigated. Here, we show that exposure of alveolar macrophages (AM) to Neisseria meningitidis or its lipooligosaccharide (LOS) induced sPLA2-IIA synthesis. However, N.

The role of particular strains of Neisseria meningitidis in meningococcal arthritis, pericarditis, and pneumonia.

The clinical presentations of meningococcal diseases other than meningitis or meningococcemia may lead to erroneous diagnosis. Although several reports have described unusual meningococcal diseases, the Neisseria meningitidis strains involved in these forms have been poorly characterized. In this study, meningococcal arthritis and pericarditis were confirmed by isolation of N.

Neisseria meningitidis strains isolated from invasive infections in France (1999-2002): phenotypes and antibiotic susceptibility patterns.

Infections due to Neisseria meningitidis are a major public health concern. In France, during 1999-2002, a total of 2167 clinical isolates of N. meningitidis from invasive infections were studied at the National Reference Center for Meningococci (Paris).