[Investigation of protective effects of Pseudomonas aeruginosa antiflagellar antibodies in burned-induced infection on BALB/c mice]

ABSTRACT

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the major cause of septicemia and wound infection in burned patients. Immunotraphy is the best practical way for prevention and treatment of these infections. Flagella as one of the most important bacterial virulence factors has important role in attachment, motility, chemotaxis and TLR-5-dependent immune response so that it propounded as a vaccine candidate. Production of anti-flagellar antibodies and evaluation of its protective effects in burned induced infection of mice was the main aim of this study. In the first step, flagellar antigen prepared by ultra-centrifugation. Antiflagellar antibodies produced in rabbit and its impurity separated by absorption technique. Specification of the obtained antibodies for flagellar antigen was investigated via agglutination test. After determination of LD50 in a known strain, different dilutions of anti-flagellar antibodies injected in burned mice for passive immunization. The rate of bacterial spread from burn site was determined by quantification assay of bacteria in skin and liver. In this study, clinical isolate and PA103 in addition to ATCC 27853 strain were used for agglutination test. H-antiserum reduced mortality of burned mice challenged with ATCC 27853 strains about 80%. Counting of bacteria in the skin and liver showed that the number of bacteria in immunized mice, in contrast with control group, was significantly low. The results of this study showed that anti-flagellar antibodies of Pseudomonas can inhibit invasion of Pseudomonas and facilitate its opsonization, so these antibodies have protective effects in burned wound infections