An acellular vaccine from Pseudomonas aeruginosa: homologous and crossed protection between serogroups according to Habs' classification

Abstract

Homologous and cross-reactions were studied in 16 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa belonging to different O serogroups according to Habs' classification. By slide agglutination, cross-reactions were rare between the strains of two or three serogroups: O2, O5 and O16; O1 and O9; O7 and O8; O13 and O14. Experiments of cross-protection have been performed in mice inoculated with acellular vaccines prepared from the 16 studied strains. A high homologous protection was observed with all the 16 strains, which is in favour of existence of an O serogroup-specific immunity. However, it exists some cross-protective reactions between the serogroups. This cross-protection allows to reduce the numbers of strains for a polyvalent vaccine. A classification of P. aeruginosa into 8 classes of related serogroups (A to H) is proposed which could be a basis for an antigenic classification of P. aeruginosa.