Population-based enrolment of adolescents in a long-term follow-up trial of human papillomavirus vaccine efficacy.

We evaluated a study setting for assessment of the long-term vaccine efficacy (VE) of human papillomavirus (HPV) virus-like-particle (VLP) vaccine against cervical carcinoma. A total of 22,412 16- to 17-year old adolescent women from seven cities in Finland were invited by letter to participate in a phase III study of a quadrivalent HPV (types 6, 11, 16, 18) VLP vaccine, between September 2002 and March 2003. A total of 30,947 18-year old women were invited to participate as unvaccinated controls.

Pneumococcal licD2 gene is involved in phosphorylcholine metabolism.

Phosphorylcholine is an important bioactive adduct to the teichoic acid (TA) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) of the surface of Streptococcus pneumoniae. We have identified and characterized a genetic locus lic that is required for phosphorylcholine metabolism in S. pneumoniae.

Oligosaccharides interfere with the establishment and progression of experimental pneumococcal pneumonia.

Oligosaccharides that block the adherence of bacteria to epithelial cells in vitro--lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT) and its alpha2-3- and alpha2-6-sialylated derivatives--were tested for their abilities to attenuate the course of pneumococcal pneumonia and to prevent colonization of the nasopharynx in animal models. Intratracheal administration of these agents concurrently with bacteria dramatically decreased pneumococcal load in the lungs of rabbits and conferred protection from bacteremia. The oligosaccharides ameliorated pneumonia and bacteremia when given therapeutically 24 h after infection was established.

Immunization with meningococcal class 1 outer membrane protein produced in Bacillus subtilis and reconstituted in the presence of Zwittergent or Triton X-100.

Vaccines against group B meningococcal infection tested in several field trials have all been extracts of the outer membrane of the bacteria. We have developed a single component vaccine based on the class 1 outer membrane protein P1 produced in a heterologous host Bacillus subtilis, and describe here its immunizing properties. The purified and denatured protein BacP1 was solubilized in SDS, followed by addition of an excess of a second detergent (Zwittergent 3-14 or Triton X-100).

Pyruvate oxidase, as a determinant of virulence in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Pneumococcus has been shown to bind to epithelial cells of the nasopharynx and lung, and to endothelial cells of the peripheral vasculature. To characterize bacterial elements required for attachment to these cell types, a library of genetically altered pneumococci with defects in exported proteins was screened for the loss of attachment to glycoconjugates representative of the nasopharyngeal cell receptor, type II lung cells (LC) and human endothelial cells (EC). A mutant was identified which showed a greater than 70% loss in the ability to attach to all cell types.

PAf receptor anchors Streptococcus pneumoniae to activated human endothelial cells.

Streptococcus pneumoniae can produce asymptomatic colonization or aggressive sepsis. We sought to differentiate the molecular mechanisms of these disparate courses. Cytokine or thrombin activation of human vascular endothelial cells and type II pneumocytes enhanced pneumococcal adherence relative to resting cells.

The antibody response to a prototype liposome vaccine containing Neisseria meningitidis outer membrane protein P1 produced in Bacillus subtilis.

Monoclonal antibodies to the class 1 outer membrane protein P1 of Neisseria meningitidis B:15:P1.7,16 have been shown to be bactericidal and protective in an infant rat meningitis model. We have produced the P1 protein in Bacillus subtilis as inclusion bodies.

Antibodies to meningococcal class 1 outer-membrane protein and its variable regions in patients with systemic meningococcal disease.

Antibodies to the meningococcal serosubtype-specific P1.7,16 protein and its variable regions (VR) were analysed in 28 convalescent sera drawn 8-36 months after systemic meningococcal disease by immunoblotting and enzyme immunoassay (EIA) methods. EIA antigens were the meningococcal P1.

Streptococcus pneumoniae anchor to activated human cells by the receptor for platelet-activating factor.

The Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major cause of pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis. Although the invasive disease is severe, some 40% of individuals harbour the pneumococcus in the nasopharynx asymptomatically. Here we investigate the molecular elements of the encounter between host and pathogen that distinguish these different outcomes.

The Neisseria meningitidis outer membrane protein P1 produced in Bacillus subtilis and reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles elicits antibodies to native P1 epitopes.

Class 1 outer membrane protein (P1) of Neisseria meningitidis group B is considered a promising vaccine candidate because P1 subtype-specific antibodies have been shown to be protective in an animal model. We have previously described the production of P1 in the Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis as intracellular inclusion bodies, from which the protein (BacP1) is easily purified (Nurminen et al., Mol.

Heterologous production of the P1 porin of Neisseria meningitidis in bacillus subtilis: the effect of an N-terminal extension on the presentation of native-like epitopes.

The major outer membrane protein P1 (class 1) of Neisseria meningitidis has been produced as inclusion bodies in Bacillus subtilis with the aim to develop a vaccine based on it. The protein produced in high yield in B. subtilis contained an N-terminal extension of 11 amino acid residues which was found to be necessary for expression in the production system.

The class 1 outer membrane protein of Neisseria meningitidis produced in Bacillus subtilis can give rise to protective immunity.

The class 1 outer membrane protein of Neisseria meningitidis B:15:P1.7,16 was expressed in Bacillus subtilis in high yield as intracellular aggregates. These were easy to isolate and the protein (called BacP1) could be solubilized under denaturing conditions.