Calibration of a serum reference standard for Group B streptococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine development using surface plasmon resonance

Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Development of a maternal vaccine to protect newborns through placentally transferred antibody is considered feasible based on the well-established relationship between anti-GBS capsular polysaccharide (CPS) IgG levels at birth and reduced risk of neonatal invasive GBS. An accurately calibrated serum reference standard that can be used to measure anti-CPS concentrations is critical for estimation of protective antibody levels across serotypes and potential vaccine performance. For this, precise weight-based measurement of anti-CPS IgG in sera is required. Here, we report an improved approach for determining serum anti-CPS IgG levels using surface plasmon resonance with monoclonal antibody standards, coupled with a direct Luminex-based immunoassay. This technique was used to quantify serotype-specific anti-CPS IgG levels in a human serum reference pool derived from subjects immunized with an investigational six-valent GBS glycoconjugate vaccine.