Effect of neonatal gastrointestinal colonization with cross reacting Escherichia coli on anticapsular antibody production and bacteremia in experimental Haemophilus influenzae type b disease of rats.

Neonatal gastrointestinal colonization of newborn rats with Escherichia coli 075:K100:H5, cross-reactive with the capsular polysaccharide of Haemophilus influenzae type b, was harmless but failed to stimulated detectable ( greater than 200 ng/ml) serum anticapsular antibodies. Neonatally colonized rats, when challenged at age 13 weeks by intraperitoneal inoculation of H. influenzae b, showed no difference in the frequency, magnitude, or duration of bacteremia or in the postinfection anticapsular antibody response when compared with saline-fed controls. However, neonatally colonized rats challenged at age 4 weeks had a significantly decreased incidence of sustained bacteremia and/or endophthalmitis when compared with controls. This decreased frequency of disease correlated with a significant increase in postinfection serum anticapsular antibodies. Neonatal gastrointestinal colonization with cross-reacting E. coli appears to "prime" the young host to respond to infection with H. influenzae b with an anticapsular antibody response that protects against sustained H. influenzae b bacteremia and its complications.