Induction ofStaphylococcus aureus-specific IgA and agglutination potency in milk of cows by mucosal immunization

• Published in: Vaccine Vol. 27; no. 30; p. 4001
• Main Authors: Tempelmans Plat-Sinnige, Marjan J, Verkaik, Nelianne J, van Wamel, Willem JB, de Groot, Nanda, Acton, Dennis S, van Belkum, Alex
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Limited 19-06-2009
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Antigens; Bacteria; Bacteriology; Dairy cattle; Health care; Immunization; Milk; Proteins; Staphylococcus infections
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.04.034

Lactating cows were immunized with inactivatedStaphylococcus aureusstrains and concentrated culture supernatants. Application of a repeated mucosal immunization scheme resulted in significant levels ofS. aureus-specific IgA in milk of dairy cows. Average IgA titers against whole cellS. aureusincreased during the first 10 weeks of immunization after which a plateau level was reached and maintained during lactation. Immune whey agglutinated both bovine and humanS. aureusstrains including methicillin-resistantS. aureus(MRSA) strains and recognized extractedS. aureusproteins on Western blot. ELISAs to quantify milk IgA reactive with a number ofS. aureusvirulence proteins (e.g. enterotoxins, microbial surface component recognizing adhesive matrix molecules (MSCRAMMs) and immune modulating proteins) and cell wall components, demonstrated the polyclonality of the IgA. Correlations observed between agglutination and specific IgA titers for whey and for purified IgA suggested functionality of the induced antibodies. Milk from immunized cows may provide a way of producing potentially therapeutic polyclonal antibodies againstS. aureuscolonization and infection.