A toxoid prepared from cholera toxin by iodination

ABSTRACT

A cholera toxoid was prepared by iodinating purified cholera toxin having an activity of 25 Limit of blueing (Lb) doses/l ug with 0.8 umol of iodine monochloride per mg toxin, and the residual lesion capacity was tested in mice. The Blueing Dose (BD) test was strongly positive for the native toxin, and co0mpletely abolished in the iodinated toxoid when tested at up to 25 times one Lb dose. The dermal microscopic lesions with intradermal doses of 1 ug virulent toxin presented intense leucocyte infiltration, proteinaceous edema and active hypertemia, whereas none of these effects was observed with the same amount of toxoid. To determine antigenicity, two groups of micereceived toxin or toxoid, 8.5 ug adsorbed to aluminum hydroxide, followed by a booster of 17 ug in saline 21 days later. Measurement of antibodies by ELISA at day 28 indicated that the toxoid was 2.5 times more antigenic than the toxin. These data show iodination converts cholera toxin to an effective toxoid