VACCINATION WITH STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS FIBRINOGEN BINDING-PROTEINS (FGBPS) REDUCES COLONIZATION OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS IN A MOUSE MASTITIS MODEL

A mouse mastitis model was used to study the effect of vaccination wit h fibrinogen binding proteins and collagen binding protein from Staphy lococcus aureus against challenge infection with S. aureus. The mice v accinated with fibrinogen binding proteins showed reduced rates of mas titis compared with controls. Gross examination of challenged mammary glands of mice showed that the glands of mice immunized with fibrinoge n binding proteins developed mild intramammary infection or had no pat hological changes compared with glands from control mice. Histopatholo gical examination of tissue sections from challenged glands showed tha t most glands from mice vaccinated with fibrinogen binding protein dev eloped disseminated necrosis or had no pathological changes. A signifi cantly reduced number of bacteria could be recovered in the glands fro m mice immunized with fibrinogen binding proteins as compared with con trols. In a similar study, immunization of mice with collagen binding protein did not induce protection against challenge infection with S. aureus.