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Updated: Apr 4, 2026

A Murine Model of Group B Streptococcus Vaginal Colonization
Published on: November 16, 2016
Association between maternal Group B Streptococcus surface-protein antibody concentrations and invasive disease in
Ziyaad Dangor1,2,3, Gaurav Kwatra1,2, Alane Izu1,2
1a 1 Medical Research Council: Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Objectives:
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) surface-proteins have been shown to be immunogenic and potential vaccine candidates. We aim to determine the association between maternal IgG antibodies to select GBS surface-proteins and invasive GBS disease in their infants.
Methods:
Using a matched case-control study, maternal antibody levels for GBS-immunogenic bacterial adhesin, fibrinogen-binding protein A and pilus-island (PI) PI-1, PI-2a, PI-2b were compared between infants with invasive GBS disease and well-baby controls.
Results:
The absolute risk of disease did not differ between cases and colonized controls with increasing antibody concentrations for these surface-proteins. There was, however, a relative risk reduction in invasive disease associated with fibrinogen-binding protein A, with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.04 (95% CI: 0.01-0.69) at antibody levels ≥10,000 AU/ml.
Conclusion:
We have not demonstrated an association between naturally occurring fibrinogen-binding protein A, GBS-immunogenic bacterial adhesin, and PI surface-protein antibodies and the risk of invasive disease in young infants. These surface-proteins may not be suitable GBS vaccine candidates.
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