Abstract
The protective role of serotype-specific and non-type-specific active immunity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection was assessed in granulocytopenic dogs. Dogs were preimmunized with either specific serotype 6 vaccine (SI) or nonspecific serotype 3 vaccine (NSI) and challenged intravenously with 10(7) viable serotype 6 P. aeruginosa during granulocytopenia. Control dogs (C) having insignificant anti-pseudomonas antibody levels were also tested. Results showed: (i) significant increase in survival of SI dogs (P less than 0.05) compared to C and NSI dogs, with no significant difference between C and NSI animals; (ii) lower febrile responses in SI dogs; and (iii) markedly reduced bacteremia in SI dogs compared to C and NSI animals. SI dog sera from survivor animals did not kill the infecting pseudomonas strain in vitro. The study demonstrated that type-specific immunity to P. aeruginosa induced by active immunization is effective in protection against pseudomonas during granulocytopenia and that non-type-specific immunity offers no cross-reactive protection. The findings suggest that the reticuloendothelial system in conjunction with specific immunity constitute an important defense against pseudomonas infections.