Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40038701›Full record

ArticleJournal of translational medicine2025

Immunogenic evaluation of LptD + LtgC as a bivalent vaccine candidate against Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Narjes Noori Goodarzi, Seyed Mahmoud Barzi, Soheila Ajdary, Mohsen Chiani, Mir Saeed Yekaninejad, Farzad Badmasti, Mohammad Reza Pourmand

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of translational medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. PreclinicalFrontiers in immunology · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Narjes Noori GoodarziDepartment of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, and Biotechnology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Seyed Mahmoud BarziDepartment of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
Soheila AjdaryDepartment of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
Mohsen ChianiNanobiotechnology Department, New Technologies Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
Mir Saeed YekaninejadDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Farzad BadmastiDepartment of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran. fbadmasti2008@gmail.com.
Mohammad Reza PourmandDepartment of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, and Biotechnology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. mpourmand@tums.ac.ir.ORCID 0000-0003-1280-5765

Funding

Pasteur Institute of Iran 1338Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services 62993
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNeisseria gonorrhoeae is an escalating global health threat due to increasing antimicrobial resistance. The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains necessitates alternative prevention strategies. This study focused on the development of a bivalent vaccine formulation to address this challenge. Lipopolysaccharide transport protein D (LptD) and lytic transglycosylase C (LtgC) as two promising immunogenic targets were considered in this study.

methodsThe ltgC and lptD genes of N. gonorrhoeae ATCC 19424 were amplified, then cloned into the pET-28a (+) vector, expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), and purified using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. Antigen-specific total IgG levels in serum of patients with gonorrhea were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Proteins were formulated with monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) adjuvant in three groups: LptD, LtgC, and a bivalent LptD + LtgC. One additional group received LptD with liposomal MPLA, along with control groups. Vaccine formulations were administered to BALB/c mice in three doses at two-week intervals. Total IgG, IgG1, IgG2a, and IgA levels in sera and vaginal samples were measured using ELISA. Moreover, serum bactericidal (SBA) and opsonophagocytic (OPA) assays were conducted.

resultsThe total IgG levels against both proteins were considerably higher in the patients' sera compared to healthy individuals. All vaccine formulations significantly increased total IgG levels in animal model. The LptD + liposomal MPLA group exhibited the highest specific IgG level, whereas the bivalent formulation group exhibited the highest long-term IgG level until the day 112, which also yielded the strongest total IgG response in the whole-cell ELISA. The IgG2a/ IgG1 ratio was greater than 1 in all vaccine regimens, indicating a Th1-polarized response. The LptD + liposomal MPLA formulation elicited the highest serum IgA levels, followed by the LptD + LtgC combination. In addition, the bivalent formulation achieved the highest SBA and OPA titers.

conclusionThis study successfully developed and evaluated a recombinant bivalent vaccine against N. gonorrhoeae. This formulation exhibited the most potent immunogenicity, as evidenced by higher antibody levels and SBA and OPA titers than single-antigen formulations. The Th1-polarized immune response further highlights the vaccine's potential to elicit a protective immune profile. These findings suggest that this multi-antigen formulation can be a promising vaccine candidate against gonorrhea. However, more investigations are required to confirm the vaccine efficacy.

Indexed as

Bacterial ProteinsBacterial VaccinesCarrier ProteinsNeisseria gonorrhoeaeAdultAnimalsAntibodies, BacterialFemaleGonorrheaHumansImmunoglobulin AImmunoglobulin GMiceMice, Inbred BALB CAntibodies, BacterialBacterial ProteinsBacterial VaccinesCarrier ProteinsImmunoglobulin AImmunoglobulin GLipopolysaccharide transport protein D (LptD)Lytic transglycosylase C (LtgC)Monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA)Neisseria gonorrhoeaeRecombinant protein

Identifiers

PMID40038701
PMCPMC11877727

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.