Copyright C) 1994, American Society for Microbiology Human Antibody Response to the B Oligomer of Pertussis Toxin

To determine whether antibodies to the B oligomer of pertussis toxin (PT) were present in patients diagnosed with pertussis or vaccinees who had received diphtheria-tetanus-whole-cell pertussis vaccine, we analyzed serum samples from 5 patients and 10 vaccinees by both enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western immunoblotting techniques. Antibodies to the B oligomer were detected by ELISA in all samples containing antibodies to holotoxin. Western immunoblotting procedures were less efficient than ELISA techniques for detecting antibodies to the B oligomer. Antibodies which inhibit the ability of the B oligomer to agglutinate erythrocytes were detected in purified human immunoglobulin preparations. In addition, serum samples containing antibodies to PT inhibited the binding of purified B oligomer and holotoxin to a 165-kDa glycoprotein which has been considered a potential PI receptor in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. These results suggest that antibodies to the B oligomer contribute to the human serologic response to PT, but their detection and characterization require appropriate methods. Concern over mild to serious adverse events associated with diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccines containing killed Bordetella pertussis cells has stimulated research aimed at the development of alternate vaccines which cause fewer sid