Surface antigens of Bordetella pertussis.

Bordetella pertussis and other Bordetella species cause respiratory infections in humans and in a variety of animals. Clinical isolates of B. pertussis have multiple virulence factors, several of which have been reported to induce protective immunity. Using cell surface iodination techniques and monoclonal antibody immunoblots we have identified several proteins which are exposed on the surface of B. pertussis cells, including the filamentous hemagglutinin and outer membrane proteins 91, 18, and 15. Protein 91 is unique to virulent B. pertussis strains. Antibodies to protein 18 are found in convalescent serum of both humans and mice recovering from infection with B. pertussis.