Study of avidity-ELISA: Comparison of chaotropic agents, incubation temperature and affinity maturation after meningococcal immunization.

The avidity index (AI) measures the binding strength between the antibody and the antigen, reflecting the affinity maturation. It can be measured by a modified ELISA, adding a chaotropic agent to disrupt the antigen x antibody interaction. However, details of the protocols used affect the final results.

Modified ELISA for antibody avidity evaluation: The need for standardization.

Antibody avidity is an important parameter to evaluate immune response, being useful to evaluate vaccine responses and helping to distinguish acute and latent infection. The antibody avidity can be measured by different methods, yet the most common is a modified ELISA. The utilization of commercial kits or in-house methods to evaluate antibody avidity have been adopted more and more, although the lack of standardization between different assays may generate a lot of variation in the process, making it hard to compare the results generated.

Study of different routes of immunization using outer membrane vesicles of Neisseria meningitidis B and comparison of two adjuvants.

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) of Neisseria meningitidis contain important antigens to trigger an immune response against meningococci and have been studied as vaccines compounds. The immune response to a vaccine may be affected by its constitution and route of administration. Therefore, Swiss mice were immunized by different routes with OMVs of N.

Immune responses of meningococcal B outer membrane vesicles in middle-aged mice.

The elderly are more likely to die when infected with Neisseria meningitidis. Aging is associated with immune system dysfunctions that impair responses to vaccines and infections. Therefore, immunization of middle-aged individuals could be beneficial.

: analysis of pili and LPS in emerging Brazilian strains.

Background: is the main cause of bacterial meningitis in Brazil, where the main serogroups isolated are B and C; however, the serogroup W has recently emerged. LPS and type IV pili are important virulence factors that increase meningococci pathogenicity.

Methods: The characterization of Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and type IV pili in 19 meningococci strains of serogroup B, 21 of serogroup C, 45 of serogroup W and 28 of serogroup Y, isolated in Brazil between 2011 and 2017, was conducted using the Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (Dot- ELISA) technique and monoclonal antibodies.

Cross-reactivity with Brazilian strains of B after immunization with outer membrane vesicles.

Background: Immunization against is important for public health. Vaccines composed of cross-reactivity antigens avoid strain-specific responses, ensuring more comprehensive protection.

Methods: The cross-reactivity between three strains from the last outbreak of in Brazil was assessed in our studies, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting assays.

Study of the Immune Response in the Elderly: Is It Necessary to Develop a Vaccine against for the Aged?

Literature reports the association between aging and decline in the immune system function. The elderly have a higher risk of developing infectious diseases and are often less responsive to vaccines that are effective in the young. The case fatality rate of invasive meningococcal disease is higher in the elderly; therefore, vaccination for this population should be evaluated.