In vitro and in vivo neutralization of the relapsing fever agent Borrelia hermsii with serotype-specific immunoglobulin M antibodies.

ABSTRACT: The antigenic variation of the relapsing fever agent Borrelia hermsii is associated with changes in the expression of the Vlp and Vsp outer membrane lipoproteins. To investigate whether these serotype-defining proteins are the target of a neutralizing and protective antibody response, monoclonal antibodies were produced from spleens of infected mice just after clearance of serotype 7 cells from the blood. Two immunoglobulin M monoclonal antibodies, H7-7 and H7-12, were studied in detail. Both antibodies specifically agglutinated serotype 7 cells and inhibited their growth in vitro. Administered to mice before or after infection, both antibodies provided protection against infection or substantially reduced the number of spirochetes in the blood of mice after infection. Whereas antibody H7-

SUBMITTER: Barbour AG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC97981 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature