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Meningococcal surrogates of protection--serum bactericidal antibody activity

Ray Borrow1, Paul Balmer, Elizabeth Miller

  • 1Meningococcal Reference Unit, Health Protection Agency North West Laboratory, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester M13 9WZ, UK. ray.borrow@hpa.org.uk

Vaccine
|March 10, 2005
PubMed

Insights

The serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) assay is crucial for evaluating meningococcal vaccines. It measures functional antibody activity, serving as the best indicator of protection against bacterial cell lysis for all serogroups.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Microbiology
  • Vaccinology

Background:

  • Meningococcal disease remains a significant global health concern, especially in young children.
  • Serogroup A causes epidemics in Africa, while serogroups B and C lead to sporadic cases and outbreaks worldwide.
  • Effective antimicrobial agents exist, yet disease burden persists.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of the serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) assay in assessing immune responses to meningococcal vaccines.
  • To highlight the SBA assay's importance as a correlate of protection.

Main Methods:

  • The review focuses on the serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) assay, a functional assay measuring antibody and complement-mediated bacterial lysis.
  • It examines established SBA titre thresholds for indicating protection against serogroup C disease.
  • It discusses the correlation between SBA titres and clinical efficacy of outer membrane vesicle (OMV) vaccines against serogroup B disease.

Main Results:

  • The SBA assay is the most critical method for measuring functional activity against Neisseria meningitidis.
  • Established SBA titres indicate protection for serogroup C disease using human or baby rabbit complement.
  • SBA titres and fold-rises correlate with clinical efficacy of OMV vaccines against serogroup B disease.

Conclusions:

  • The serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) assay is a validated correlate of protection for evaluating meningococcal vaccines.
  • Its utility spans across different serogroups and vaccine types.
  • SBA activity is essential for assessing vaccine-induced immunity and predicting protection against meningococcal disease.

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