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Title
Murine model for pertussis vaccine encephalopathy: role of the major histocompatibility complex; antibody
to albumin and to Bordetella pertussis and pertussis toxin.
AuthorSteinman L; Weiss A; Adelman N; Lim M; Oehlert J; Zuniga R; Hewlett E; Falkow S
Source
Dev Biol Stand,
61:1985,
439-46
AbstractA mouse model for pertussis immunization encephalopathy has been described with features that closely
resemble the severe adverse reactions occasionally seen after pertussis vaccine administration,m including
seizures and a shock-like state leading to death. These reactions are produced with nearly one hundred
percent efficiency provided that the mice immunized with Bordetella pertussis have 1) the appropriate
major histocompatibility (H-2) genotype, 2) have been sensitized to bovine serum albumin (BSA), and 3)
that the injected B. pertussis contained sufficient amounts of pertussis toxin. Antibody titres were
measured in mice with haplotypes H-2d.s.k. that are highly susceptible to encephalopathy as well as in
H-2b mice, that are totally resistant. Mice with H-2d.s.k. haplotypes were high responders to BSA, while
H-2b (B10) mice were non-responders to BSA. Both H-2d and H-2b mice responded well to B. pertussis. Encephalopathy
was induced in resistant H-2b mice with B. pertussis and passively administered anti-BSA antiserum, but
not with B. pertussis and anti-(T,G)-A--L antibody. This indicated that B. pertussis and anti-BSA were
absolutely required for development of encephalopathy. Encephalopathy could be induced in mice decomplemented
with cobra venom factor and given BSA and B. pertussis. Several single-site mutants of B. pertussis affecting
single virulence factors were induced with transposon Tn5. One of these mutants, BP357, deficient in
pertussis toxin production, had a greatly reduced encephalopathic potential in the mouse model compared
to the virulent strain BP 338, or to BP348, an adenylate cyclase and hemolysin double mutant, or to BP
349, a hemolysin mutant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)