Immunological Response to A Strain of Staphylococcus Epidermidis in the Rabbit: Production of Protective Antibody

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Abstract
A rabbit was immunized with a heat-killed vaccine prepared from strain 1142 of S. epidermidis. The HA [hemagglutination] titers of the antisera against a surface-polysaccharide antigen extracted from the homologous strain were highest 2-4 wk after immunization and subsequently declined. Only a minor amount of 2-ME[2-mercaptoethanol]-resistant antibody [Ab] was formed, and this at a late stage of the reaction. After a booster injection of the vaccine at the 10th wk, there was a significantly greater HA-Ab response and a greater amount of 2-ME-resistant Ab was formed. The relative passive-protective activity of the sera in mice corresponded to their content of 2-ME-sensitive HA-Ab. The protective activity of the sera was 2-ME sensitive and was not removed by absorption with anti-rabbit Ig[immunoglobulin]G goat serum. A dose of 280 .mu.g IgM-rich serum fraction obtained by sucrose-density-gradient ultracentrifugation passively protected against homologous challenge infection in mice, but 910 .mu.g of IgG-rich fraction did not. The protective antibody was probably of the IgM class.

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