Protection of infant mice from challenge with Streptococcus pneumoniae type 19F by immunization with a type 19F polysaccharide--pneumolysoid conjugate

The immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a conjugate of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 19F polysaccharide and a genetically toxoided derivative of the pneumococcal toxin pneumolysin was investigated in an infant mouse model. The conjugate was administered to Balb/c mice during pregnancy and/or lactation, and to their offspring during early infancy. The anti-polysaccharide and anti-pneumolysin titres of the immunized infant mice were significantly higher than those of non-immunized controls. When the infant mice were challenged with type 19F pneumococci, the bacteria were cleared more effectively from the blood of immunized mice than from that of control mice. The survival rate for the immunized mice was also significantly higher than that for the control group. These results indicate that highly protective anti-pneumococcal responses can be induced in infant mice by immunization with the conjugate during gestation or early infancy, and suggest a possible role for pneumolysoid-polysaccharide conjugates as human vaccine components.