Journal article
Immune Cross-Opsonization within emm Clusters Following Group A Streptococcus Skin Infection: Broadening the Scope of Type-Specific Immunity
HR Frost, D Laho, ML Sanderson-Smith, P Licciardi, S Donath, N Curtis, J Kado, JB Dale, AC Steer, PR Smeesters
Clinical Infectious Diseases | OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC | Published : 2017
DOI: 10.1093/cid/cix599
Open access
Abstract
Background Group A Streptococcus (GAS) skin infections are particularly prevalent in developing nations. The GAS M protein, by which strains are differentiated into >220 different emm types, is immunogenic and elicits protective antibodies. A major obstacle for vaccine development has been the traditional understanding that immunity following infection is restricted to a single emm type. However, recent evidence has led to the hypothesis of immune cross-reactivity between emm types. Methods We investigated the human serological response to GAS impetigo in Fijian schoolchildren, focusing on 3 major emm clusters (E4, E6, and D4). Pre- and postinfection sera were assayed by enzyme-linked immuno..
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Awarded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Funding Acknowledgements
This work was supported by an National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) project grant (grant number APP1051297) and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute of Melbourne, Australia.