Evaluation the reactivity of a peptide-based monoclonal antibody derived from OmpA with drug resistant pulsotypes of Acinetobacter baumannii as a potential therapeutic approach.

Background: Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic and antibiotic-resistant pathogen that predominantly causes nosocomial infections. There is urgent need for development nonantibiotic-based treatment strategies. We developed a novel monoclonal antibody (mAb) against a peptide of conserved outer membrane protein A (OmpA) and evaluated its reactivity with different pulsotypes of A. baumannii.

Methods: Peptide derived from A. baumannii OmpA was conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin and injected into BALB/c mice. Splenocytes of immunized mice were fused with SP2/0 myeloma cells followed by selection of antibody-producing hybridoma cells. After screening of different hybridoma colonies by ELISA, one monoclone was selected as 3F10-C9 and the antibody was tested for reaction with five different Acinetobacter pulsotypes that were resistant to carbapenem antibiotics. The affinity constant was measured by ELISA. The ELISA, western blotting, indirect immunofluorescence (IFA), and in vitro opsonophagocytosis assays were used to evaluate the reactivity of generated mAb.

Results: The anti-OmpA antibody reacted with the immunizing peptide and had a high affinity (1.94 × 10 M) for its antigen in the ELISA. Specific binding of mAb to OmpA was confirmed in Western blot. IFA assays revealed that mAb recognized specific OmpA on the pulsotypes. Opsonophagocytosis assays showed that the mAb increased the bactericidal activity of macrophage cells. The antibody function was higher in the presence of serum complement.

Conclusions: The peptide-based mAb demonstrated optimal performance in laboratory experiments which may be appropriate in investigation on OmpA in Acinetobacter pathogenesis and development of passive immunization as a novel therapeutic approach.