Chemical composition of phase I Coxiella burnetii soluble antigen prepared by trichloroacetic acid extraction.

Optimal conditions of extraction (time and temperature) by trichloroacetic acid of soluble antigen from phase I Coxiella burnetii (TCAE), possessing protective properties and used as a chemovaccine against Q fever in men, were studied. Extracts prepared under various conditions were analysed for their polysaccharide, protein and phosphorus contents. Forty-five min of extraction at 0 degrees C were sufficient to obtain a soluble antigen reacting in immunodiffusion with hyperimmune rabbit antiserum. The polysaccharide contents decreased with prolonged extraction at 0 degrees C. At higher extraction temperatures (37 and 100 degrees C), the polysaccharide contents increased while that of proteins decreased. TCAE prepared at 100 degrees C gave no positive immunodiffusion reaction.