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M J Corbel

Publications and source records attributed to M J Corbel.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Monitoring stability of meningococcal group C conjugate vaccines; correlation of physico-chemical methods and immunogenicity assays.

Two meningococcal C-CRM197 conjugates differing in oligosaccharide chain length, number of conjugation sites, conjugation chemistry and process were monitored for stability at various temperatures or after repeated freeze-thawing by physico-chemical assays. The results were compared with assessment of immunogenicity in mice, previously shown to correlate with performance of the vaccine in clinical trials. The structural stability of the oligosaccharide chains and the protein carrier varied between the two types of conjugates. Neither was adversely affected by repeated freeze-thawing but one developed conformational changes in the protein carrier, detected by optical (CD, fluorescence) and NMR spectroscopy, when incubated at 23 degrees C or above, although integrity of the oligosaccharide structure was maintained. This was not associated with any reduction in primary IgM or IgG antibody responses to meningococcal C polysaccharide. Exposure to more extreme conditions resulting in release of a substantial proportion of free saccharide from the other conjugate sample was accompanied by significant reduction in both IgG and IgM antibody responses. In conclusion, FPLC-SEC, HPAEC-PAD and NMR spectroscopy were found useful for monitoring the stability of meningococcal C-CRM197 conjugates. Although optical spectroscopy was a sensitive method for detecting modification of the protein carrier, the results did not correlate with reduced immunogenicity.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Monitoring of diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus toxoids by circular dichroism, fluorescence spectroscopy and size-exclusion chromatography.

A combination of spectroscopic and chromatographic methods has been used to monitor the quality and integrity of diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus toxoids (DTxd, PTxd and TTxd) which have been prepared from the toxins by formaldehyde treatment. Different processes for detoxifying all three toxins have yielded toxoids varying in their molecular size, including oligomers (associated monomers) and aggregates (high molecular weight complexes of non-specifically associated monomers). Changes in the intrinsic fluorescence spectra of the polypeptides have been observed in some sized fractions of DTxd and PTxd. Some physico-chemical changes have been observed to correlate with a loss of antigenicity. Spectroscopic and chromatographic methods are useful not only in monitoring the stability and consistency of vaccine starting materials, but can also be used to dissect heterogeneous toxoid preparations.

Chemical Phenomena↗
PubMed1999

Development of a tetrazolium salt assay for rapid determination of viability of BCG vaccines.

Standardisation and control of the live Mycobacterium bovis BCG (BCG) vaccine is performed as specified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Pharmacopoeia (EP). The conventional viable count for control of potency of BCG vaccine is performed by culturing on solid medium. This assay method is not only time consuming but may give variable results. A tetrazolium salt assay has been developed and evaluated as a potential additional, or replacement, test for determining number of viable organisms. The tetrazolium salts 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and 2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulphenyl)-(2H)-tetrazolium-5-carb oxanilide (XTT) used as alternative substrates in the assay both gave more rapid and reproducible results than the conventional viable count. XTT showed greater sensitivity than MTT with a lower detection limit of about 7x10(4) colony forming units (c.f.u.) ml(-1). The XTT assay has proven effective for determining viability of suspensions prepared from several BCG vaccine substrains, covering a range of viable units, without the need for modification. This assay is easily performed and takes just 48 h to produce an estimate of viable cell content compared with 3 weeks for the conventional method.

BCG Vaccine↗
PubMed1999

An aerosol challenge model of Bordetella pertussis infection as a potential bioassay for acellular pertussis vaccines.

Whole cell and five different types of acellular pertussis vaccine were assayed using a mouse aerosol challenge model which permitted delivery of a controlled, consistent dose of Bordetella pertussis to the lower respiratory tract. Using this system, the viable counts in the lungs of vaccinated mice were immunisation dose-dependent and allowed the protective capacity of different vaccine preparations to be distinguished. This model may thus provide the basis for a protection assay for pertussis vaccines. Comparison of acellular vaccines with a whole cell pertussis vaccine showed that the latter gave better active protection in mice but with a different dose-response relationship. Thus the two types of vaccine are not directly comparable in the same assay and require different reference standards. A pentavalent type acellular vaccine is suggested as a possible candidate standard for the acellular vaccine potency test. The results suggest that this aerosol challenge model has potential for use as a potency test for acellular pertussis vaccines.

Aerosols↗
PubMed1999

Approaches to the control of acellular pertussis vaccines.

The quality control of acellular pertussis vaccines presents particular problems related to the differences in composition and method of detoxification used in the various type of preparation. These vaccines are not amenable to potency assay by the active mouse protection test used for whole-cell pertussis vaccines and assurance of protective activity is problematic. In contrast, monitoring of these vaccines for safety is relatively straightforward and is centred on assays for the lipooligosaccharide endotoxin, active pertussis toxin and absence of reversion to toxicity of detoxified product. The absence of heat-labile toxin, tracheal cytotoxin and adenyl cyclase toxin is assumed provided that adequate validation of the process has been performed. Confirmation of the antigenic content of the detoxified bulk components is difficult to achieve by conventional binding assays based on monoclonal antibodies because of changes in accessibility of reactive sites post-toxoiding. However, single radial diffusion assay using polyclonal antisera permits estimation of pertussis toxoid (PT), filamentous haemagglutinin (FHA) and pertactin (P69). Dot blot immunoassay can be used for the fimbrial agglutinogens 2 and 3 (Fim 2 and 3) and potentially could also be used to check the composition of final filling lots for PT, FHA, P69 and Fim 2 and 3. Gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting can be applied to monitor purity of purified bulk components and the characteristics of these change after chemical detoxification. Electron microscopy provides a useful semi-quantitative supporting method for checking purity of bulk components. Physico-chemical examination, particularly CD and fluorescence spectroscopy, offer a means of monitoring the consistency of detoxified bulk components. No completely satisfactory method is available for monitoring potency. Immunogenicity assays may be useful for checking consistency but do not necessarily correlate with protection. At present, active protection against aerosol challenge offers the best prospect of a functional assay.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Evaluation of transmission electron microscopy for examination of components of acellular pertussis and combination vaccines.

New acellular pertussis and combination vaccines vary in the concentration and presence or absence of specific components and in extent of adsorption to adjuvants. There is a pressing need to develop new control methods for acellular pertussis vaccines. Negative staining electron microscopy has been evaluated as a method for assessing the purity of individual vaccine components and the amount of adsorption to aluminium gels. Negative staining showed the characteristic morphology of vaccine components and permitted detection of contaminants and morphological changes. Reproducible results were obtained by use of a standardized negative staining technique and confidence in the technique was increased by comparison of previously unexamined specimens with a specimen that had been characterized by repeated observations. The degree of adsorption to aluminium adjuvants could only be assessed by observation of the amount of non-adsorbed material in the specimen. Negative staining electron microscopy can be used as one of a number of techniques for control of acellular pertussis combination vaccines.

Adsorption↗
PubMed1999

Physico-chemical analysis of Bordetella pertussis antigens.

Physico-chemical methods are being developed for use in the control and standardization of acellular pertussis vaccines and their individual components. We have compared native and detoxified preparations of the B. pertussis antigens, pertussis toxin (PT), filamentous haemagglutinin (FHA), and the 69-kDa outer membrane protein (P69) using circular dichroism (CD), fluorescence spectroscopy, SDS-PAGE and FPLC gel filtration chromatography. Upon aldehyde detoxification, PT underwent a large change in its intrinsic fluorescence maximum (8-10 nm red-shift) and a large increase in its apparent size, detected by chromatography. Polyacrylamide gels showed individual subunits of the same apparent molecular weight (M(r)) as well as some polypeptides of higher M(r). FHA also changed conformation (5-nm red-shift in intrinsic fluorescence) upon aldehyde detoxification, with a resultant increase in the M(r)of its major constituent. The P69 protein appeared quite robust to formaldehyde treatment as measured by the same methods. Its near-UV CD spectrum contains a prominent tryptophan band; so this method may be more suitable for observing differences in conformation. We also examined an aluminium-desorbed DTaP preparation by these methods. When used in conjunction with immunochemical and toxicological assays, these methods are informative and useful in the characterization of candidate standards and should be valuable methods for ensuring the consistency of manufactured vaccines.

Bordetella pertussis↗
PubMed1999

Non-pertussis components of combination vaccines: problems with potency testing.

Vaccines comprising combinations of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) with Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide-protein conjugate (Hib), inactivated poliomyelitis virus (IPV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) are already available, and new combinations using acellular pertussis components in a triple vaccine (DTaP) are under development. Evidence to date has shown that control of the efficacy, safety and stability of combination vaccines cannot be based on information already available on the individual components or existing licensed formulations. Several examples of immunological interference between components of a combination vaccine have been observed both in clinical trials and in laboratory tests. Examples of these for D, T and Hib components in DTP and DTaP combinations have been investigated.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Single radial immunodiffusion as a method for the assay of the acellular pertussis vaccine components, pertussis toxoid, filamentous haemagglutinin and pertactin.

The development of acellular pertussis vaccines has raised a number of issues relevant to the control of these products. Of particular importance is the need for robust and accurate in vitro assays for the antigen content of the vaccines which might contain up to five different antigen components, each of which needs to be independently assayed. This paper describes a simple method for the quantification of three component antigens. Because relatively high doses of purified antigens are used in those preparations, the elimination of residual toxicity is a major concern. This is achieved by genetic modification of chemical treatment. The latter results in modification of the immunological reactivity of the antigens making direct assay by such methods as ELISA ineffective. A single radial diffusion technique using polyclonal antisera for the assay of pertussis toxoid (PTxd), chemically treated filamentous haemagglutinin (FHA) and pertactin (69 kDa) has been developed. The method uses low concentrations of antisera, allowing accurate and reproducible quantification of antigen content as low as 25 microg/ml of protein for pertussis toxoid and filamentous haemagglutinin and 5 microg/ml for pertactin. Since by the addition of detergent, diffusible subunits are produced irrespective of the original physical state of the antigens, the assay is suitable for assay of these antigens after detoxification/or stabilization by chemical treatment and is able to determine the differences between preparations which have the same protein concentration but different antigenic contents. This provides a means for assuring the consistency of the antigens after detoxification/or chemical stabilization which could be used as an in-process control method for acellular pertussis vaccines.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗
PubMed1998

Nitric oxide induction in murine macrophages and spleen cells by whole-cell Bordetella pertussis vaccine.

Nitric oxide (NO) induction was studied in the peritoneal macrophages and spleen cells of female NIH mice immunised with whole cell Bordetella pertussis vaccines of moderate and high potency, respectively. Compared with controls receiving diluent only, the macrophages and spleen cells of the vaccinated mice developed high levels of reactive nitrogen intermediates from the third day after injection. The nitrite concentrations achieved maximum values at the 10th day, but significant levels persisted until the 25th day. Heat-killed B. pertussis cells were the most effective inducer of NO synthesis, followed by lipopolysaccharide and agglutinogens Fim 2 and 3. Pertussis toxoid, filamentous haemagglutinin and pertactin were poor inducers of NO synthesis. The specific nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, aminoguanidine, and anti-IFN-gamma antibody blocked formation of nitrite by the macrophages and spleen cells. The production of NO in response to in vitro culture with bacterial antigen was clearly associated with protective immunity in vivo as determined by i.c. challenge. These results suggest that reactive nitrogen intermediates play a role in the immune response induced by whole cell pertussis vaccines.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Modulation of the immune response to tetanus toxoid by polylactide-polyglycolide microspheres.

The cellular and antibody responses in mice to tetanus toxoid (TT), alone or adsorbed to aluminium hydroxide TT were compared to those obtained with TT incorporated in polylactide-polyglycolide (PLGA) microspheres, a candidate single dose vaccine. After subcutaneous injection, the serum IgM antibody to TT followed similar overall patterns for all preparations although the highest levels were achieved with the alum-adsorbed material. A similar pattern was observed with the overall IgG antibody responses. The isotype distribution of antibodies was broadly similar for all types of preparation although considerable qualitative differences were observed. IgG1 antibodies predominated although IgG2a and IgG2b made a substantial contribution, especially at three months in the case of the two adjuvanted preparations. The IgG3 responses to each type of vaccine were very low. Both alum and microsphere vaccines induced proliferative responses to TT in splenic lymphocytes at three months after vaccination. Each type of vaccine was much less effective in inducing proliferative responses in lymph node cells. There was evidence of induction of IL2, IL4 and interferon-gamma genes by microsphere vaccines in splenic but not lymph node cells. There were indications that PLGA microspheres alone exerted a modulating effect on cellular responses after immunization. These results suggest that TT encapsulated in microspheres induces a pattern of cellular and antibody responses qualitatively similar to those induced by conventional TT vaccines.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Estimation of antigenic tetanus toxoid extracted from biodegradable microspheres.

Microspheres made from poly (lactic/glycolic acid) polymers have been considered as a new delivery system for single-dose tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccines. One of the most critical properties of the proposed vaccines is the loading and distribution of TT as this will have a profound effect on immunogenicity. As the concentration of TT in microspheres is very low sensitive assay methods are required. An assay incorporating monoclonal antibody (MAb) recognizing a neutralizing epitope and cross-reacting with TT was developed (MAp capture ELISA) which provided a sensitivity of 0.001 Lf/ml. An extraction procedure was devised which did not destroy the antigenicity and gave a recovery of 90.6 +/- 3.39% when applied to different preparations. The extracted TT was then quantified by MAb capture ELISA which was estimated to be 250-fold more sensitive than single-site ELISA for toxoid. The loading of 20 microspheres preparations (12 filled and 8 placebo) was determined by both protein micro-BCA assay and the developed assay for TT. The TT content obtained for the 12 filled microspheres preparations from different sources varied up to 400-fold (range 0.01-4.0 Lf/mg microspheres). The utility of the MAb capture ELISA for detection of total antigenic content in microspheres was confirmed by the observation that the determine TT loading correlated with the theoretical loading predicted from the protein content for the best preparations. Preparations with high loading gave the greatest peak response. There was no relationship between dose and the in vivo immunogenic response, suggesting that encapsulated vaccines with differential loading, release properties and presence of excipients will have different response curves in vivo. Hence, the present assay, when combined with information on toxoid release rate and presence and effect of excipients may be of value in predicting in vivo response.

Animals↗