HUMAN-ANTIBODY RESPONSE TO THE B-OLIGOMER OF PERTUSSIS TOXIN

To determine whether antibodies to the B oligomer of pertussis toxin ( PT) were present in patients diagnosed with pertussis or vaccinees who had received diphtheria-tetanus-whole-cell pertussis vaccine, we anal yzed serum samples from 5 patients and 10 vaccinees by both enzyme-lin ked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western immunoblotting techniques. Antibodies to the B oligomer were detected by ELISA in all samples co ntaining antibodies to holotoxin. Western immunoblotting procedures we re less efficient than ELISA techniques for detecting antibodies to th e B oligomer. Antibodies which inhibit the ability of the B oligomer t o agglutinate erythrocytes were detected in purified human immunoglobu lin preparations. In addition, serum samples containing antibodies to PT inhibited the binding of purified B oligomer and holotoxin to a 165 -kDa glycoprotein which has been considered a potential PT receptor in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. These results suggest that antibod ies to the B oligomer contribute to the human serologic response to PT , but their detection and characterization require appropriate methods .