Binding to and opsonophagocytic activity of O-antigen-specific monoclonal antibodies against encapsulated and nonencapsulated Klebsiella pneumoniae serotype O1 strains

The high mortality of nosocomial infections caused by Klebsiella spp. has acted as a stimulus to develop immunotherapeutic approaches targeted against surface molecules of these bacteria. Since O-antigen-specific antibodies may add to the protective effect of K antisera, we tested the functional and binding capacity of O-antigen-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) raised against different Klebsiella O antigens. The MAbs tested were specific for the O-polysaccharide partial antigens D-galactan II (MAb Ru-O1), D-galactan I (MAb IV/4-5), or core oligosaccharide (MAb V/9-5) of the Klebsiella serogroup O1 antigen. In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay binding experiments, we found that all MAbs recognized their epitopes on intact capsule-free bacteria; however, binding to encapsulated wild-type strains belonging to different K-antigen serotypes was significantly reduced. The K2 antigen acted as the strongest penetration barrier, while the K7 and K21 antigens allowed some, though diminished, antibody binding. In vitro phagocytic killing experiments showed that MAb Ru-O1 possessed significant opsonizing activity for nonencapsulated O1 serogroup strains and also, to a much lesser extent, for encapsulated strains belonging to the O1:K7 and O1:K21 serotypes. MAbs or antisera specific for the D-galactan II antigen may thus be the most promising agents for further efforts to develop a second-generation Klebsiella hyperimmune globulin comprising both K- and O-antigen specificities.