Antibodies to capsular polysaccharides of group B Streptococcus in pregnant Canadian women: relationship to colonization status and infection in the neonate

J Infect Dis. 2001 Aug 1;184(3):285-91. doi: 10.1086/322029. Epub 2001 Jun 26.

Abstract

In a cohort study of 1207 pregnant women in Alberta, Canada, the serotype distributions of vaginal-rectal group B Streptococcus (GBS) isolates were compared with all isolates from neonates with invasive GBS disease identified by population-based surveillance. Serum concentrations of Ia, Ib, II, III, and V capsular polysaccharide (CPS)-specific IgG also were determined, according to serotype of the vaginal-rectal colonizing GBS strain. GBS colonization was detected in 19.5% (235 of 1207) of women. Serotype III accounted for 20.6% (48 of 233) of colonizing strains available for typing but for 37% (27 of 73) of invasive isolates from neonates (P<.01). Maternal colonization with type III was least likely to be associated with moderate concentrations of III CPS-specific IgG. Serotype III GBS is more invasive than other serotypes in this population; this may be due, at least in part, to poor maternal type III CPS-specific antibody response.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Alberta
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood*
  • Canada
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical*
  • Parity
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial / immunology
  • Population Surveillance
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / microbiology*
  • Rectum / microbiology
  • Serotyping
  • Streptococcal Infections / blood
  • Streptococcal Infections / immunology*
  • Streptococcal Infections / transmission*
  • Streptococcus agalactiae / immunology*
  • Streptococcus agalactiae / isolation & purification
  • Vagina / microbiology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial