ORAL IMMUNIZATION WITH AN ANTIIDIOTYPIC ANTIBODY TO THE EXOGLYCOLIPIDANTIGEN PROTECTS AGAINST EXPERIMENTAL CHLAMYDIA-TRACHOMATIS INFECTION

Chlamydia trachomatis is the leading cause worldwide of preventable in fectious blindness (trachoma) and sexually transmitted disease, includ ing nongonoccocal urethritis and pelvic inflammatory disease. To date, no effective vaccine against C. trachomatis infection has been identi fied. A monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody (anti-Id) to the chlamydial exoglycolipid antigen (GLXA) was tested in a murine model of ocular c hlamydial infection for its ability to induce systemic immunity, which reduces microbiologic and clinical disease. The anti-Id to GLXA, deli vered either systemically in soluble form or orally after encapsulatio n in poly(lactide) microspheres, induced significant protective immuni ty against ocular challenge of mice with a human biovar of C. trachoma tis. Protection was associated with induction of anti-GLXA antibody an d anti-chlamydial neutralizing antibody.