The ABCs (Antibody, B cells, and Carbohydrate epitopes) of cholera immunity: considerations for an improved vaccine

Microbiol Immunol. 2006;50(12):899-927. doi: 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2006.tb03866.x.

Abstract

Cholera, a diarrheal disease, is known for explosive epidemics that can quickly kill thousands. Endemic cholera is a seasonal torment that also has a significant mortality. Not all nations with extensive rural communities can achieve the required infrastructure or behavioral changes to prevent epidemic or endemic cholera. For some communities, a single-dose cholera vaccine that protects those at risk is the most efficacious means to reduce morbidity and mortality. It is clear that our understanding of what a protective cholera immune response is has not progressed at the rate our understanding of the pathogenesis and molecular biology of cholera infection has. This review addresses V. cholerae lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-based immunogens because LPS is the only immunogen proven to induce protective antibody in humans. We discuss the role of anti-LPS antibodies in protection from cholera, the importance and the potential role of B cell subsets in protection that is based on their anatomical location and the intrinsic antigen-receptor specificity of various subsets is introduced.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Bacterial / biosynthesis
  • B-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Cholera / immunology*
  • Cholera Vaccines / administration & dosage
  • Cholera Vaccines / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Lipopolysaccharides / immunology*
  • Vibrio cholerae / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Cholera Vaccines
  • Lipopolysaccharides