Antibodies elicited by a Cryptococcus neoformans-tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine have the same specificity as those elicited in infection.

The antibody responses of BALB/c mice to serotype A Cryptococcus neoformans capsular polysaccharide (CNPS) were compared after cryptococcal infection and immunization with a serotype A glucuronoxylomannan-tetanus toxoid conjugate (GXM-TT). Infection rarely resulted in a rise of serum antibody titer to CNPS. In contrast, mice immunized with GXM-TT produced serum IgM and IgG to CNPS. Six IgM and one IgG1 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were generated from the spleen of one infected mouse. Nine IgM, 1 IgG3, 16 IgG1, and 7 IgA MAbs were generated from the spleen of one GXM-TT-immunized mouse. All MAbs generated from both mice bound to the GXM fraction of the capsular polysaccharide. For some MAbs, de-O-acetylation of serotype A GXM abolished or greatly reduced MAb binding compared with the native GXM. All MAbs reacted with CNPS from C. neoformans serotypes A-D. MAbs generated from the infected mouse competitively inhibited the binding of MAbs generated from the GXM-TT-immunized mouse. These results indicate that some antibodies elicited by infection with C. neoformans or by immunization with GXM-TT bind to the same antigenic determinant in the GXM.