Vibrio cholerae-specific antibodies in plasma and saliva in cholera patients during a severe outbreak in Zambia: an antibody profiling approach
BackgroundCholera is a public health threat in resource-limited settings and is responsible for causing over 3 million cases globally. Mucosal immune responses play an important role in protecting against Vibrio cholerae infection, a non-invasive mucosal pathogen, yet traditional plasma-based assays...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Immunology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1641319/full |
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| author | Charlie C. Luchen Charlie C. Luchen Harriet Ngo’mbe Fraser Liswaniso Samuel Bosomprah Samuel Bosomprah Julia A. Zhiteneva Jason Harris Jason Harris Richelle C. Charles Richelle C. Charles Richelle C. Charles Edward T. Ryan Edward T. Ryan Edward T. Ryan David Sack Biana Bernshtein Caroline C. Chisenga |
| author_facet | Charlie C. Luchen Charlie C. Luchen Harriet Ngo’mbe Fraser Liswaniso Samuel Bosomprah Samuel Bosomprah Julia A. Zhiteneva Jason Harris Jason Harris Richelle C. Charles Richelle C. Charles Richelle C. Charles Edward T. Ryan Edward T. Ryan Edward T. Ryan David Sack Biana Bernshtein Caroline C. Chisenga |
| author_sort | Charlie C. Luchen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundCholera is a public health threat in resource-limited settings and is responsible for causing over 3 million cases globally. Mucosal immune responses play an important role in protecting against Vibrio cholerae infection, a non-invasive mucosal pathogen, yet traditional plasma-based assays are invasive and logistically challenging, particularly during outbreaks in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Saliva offers a unique window into mucosal immunity and may serve as a non-invasive alternative for seroprevalence and vaccine immunogenicity studies.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional antibody profiling study to analyse cholera-specific antibodies in saliva and plasma samples from 74 participants upon presenting to the cholera treatment centres. These were collected from four treatment centres in Lusaka during Zambia’s most severe cholera outbreak in 2024 caused by Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa. Levels of total IgG, IgG1-3, IgM, secretory IgA, and IgA1–2 isotypes were used to compare the biomarker profile between the two sample types.ResultsSaliva and plasma antibody profiles were comparable, with elevated IgA1 and IgA2 responses to cholera toxin-B (CtxB), sialidase, HlyA, and TcpA in saliva. Broader systemic responses were seen in plasma, including high CtxB-specific IgM, IgA1, and total IgG levels. Notably, biomarkers such as HlyA, Ogawa O-specific polysaccharide (OSP), and sialidase exhibited significant positive correlations between plasma and saliva. Elevated biomarker levels of HlyA, Ogawa O-specific polysaccharide (OSP), and sialidase in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) suggested immunological differences that warrant further exploration.ConclusionWe demonstrate that saliva is a viable, non-invasive alternative for cholera antibody-based profiling, offering practical advantages in resource-constrained settings. Given its strong correlation with systemic antibody profiles, saliva may be a practical sample for sero-surveillance in resource-limited settings. Future studies should investigate the duration of these salivary responses to further substantiate their use in estimating disease burden and immunity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c0b403bbf4d947a6911d642b4348c817 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-3224 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Immunology |
| spelling | doaj-art-c0b403bbf4d947a6911d642b4348c8172025-08-20T03:41:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242025-08-011610.3389/fimmu.2025.16413191641319Vibrio cholerae-specific antibodies in plasma and saliva in cholera patients during a severe outbreak in Zambia: an antibody profiling approachCharlie C. Luchen0Charlie C. Luchen1Harriet Ngo’mbe2Fraser Liswaniso3Samuel Bosomprah4Samuel Bosomprah5Julia A. Zhiteneva6Jason Harris7Jason Harris8Richelle C. Charles9Richelle C. Charles10Richelle C. Charles11Edward T. Ryan12Edward T. Ryan13Edward T. Ryan14David Sack15Biana Bernshtein16Caroline C. Chisenga17Department of Global Health, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam, NetherlandsResearch Division, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, ZambiaResearch Division, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, ZambiaResearch Division, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, ZambiaResearch Division, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, ZambiaDepartment of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra, GhanaRagon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United StatesDivision of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesDivision of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesDivision of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesCenter for Immunization Research, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United StatesRagon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United StatesResearch Division, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, ZambiaBackgroundCholera is a public health threat in resource-limited settings and is responsible for causing over 3 million cases globally. Mucosal immune responses play an important role in protecting against Vibrio cholerae infection, a non-invasive mucosal pathogen, yet traditional plasma-based assays are invasive and logistically challenging, particularly during outbreaks in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Saliva offers a unique window into mucosal immunity and may serve as a non-invasive alternative for seroprevalence and vaccine immunogenicity studies.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional antibody profiling study to analyse cholera-specific antibodies in saliva and plasma samples from 74 participants upon presenting to the cholera treatment centres. These were collected from four treatment centres in Lusaka during Zambia’s most severe cholera outbreak in 2024 caused by Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa. Levels of total IgG, IgG1-3, IgM, secretory IgA, and IgA1–2 isotypes were used to compare the biomarker profile between the two sample types.ResultsSaliva and plasma antibody profiles were comparable, with elevated IgA1 and IgA2 responses to cholera toxin-B (CtxB), sialidase, HlyA, and TcpA in saliva. Broader systemic responses were seen in plasma, including high CtxB-specific IgM, IgA1, and total IgG levels. Notably, biomarkers such as HlyA, Ogawa O-specific polysaccharide (OSP), and sialidase exhibited significant positive correlations between plasma and saliva. Elevated biomarker levels of HlyA, Ogawa O-specific polysaccharide (OSP), and sialidase in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) suggested immunological differences that warrant further exploration.ConclusionWe demonstrate that saliva is a viable, non-invasive alternative for cholera antibody-based profiling, offering practical advantages in resource-constrained settings. Given its strong correlation with systemic antibody profiles, saliva may be a practical sample for sero-surveillance in resource-limited settings. Future studies should investigate the duration of these salivary responses to further substantiate their use in estimating disease burden and immunity.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1641319/fullcholerasalivaplasmaantibodyimmunology |
| spellingShingle | Charlie C. Luchen Charlie C. Luchen Harriet Ngo’mbe Fraser Liswaniso Samuel Bosomprah Samuel Bosomprah Julia A. Zhiteneva Jason Harris Jason Harris Richelle C. Charles Richelle C. Charles Richelle C. Charles Edward T. Ryan Edward T. Ryan Edward T. Ryan David Sack Biana Bernshtein Caroline C. Chisenga Vibrio cholerae-specific antibodies in plasma and saliva in cholera patients during a severe outbreak in Zambia: an antibody profiling approach Frontiers in Immunology cholera saliva plasma antibody immunology |
| title | Vibrio cholerae-specific antibodies in plasma and saliva in cholera patients during a severe outbreak in Zambia: an antibody profiling approach |
| title_full | Vibrio cholerae-specific antibodies in plasma and saliva in cholera patients during a severe outbreak in Zambia: an antibody profiling approach |
| title_fullStr | Vibrio cholerae-specific antibodies in plasma and saliva in cholera patients during a severe outbreak in Zambia: an antibody profiling approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vibrio cholerae-specific antibodies in plasma and saliva in cholera patients during a severe outbreak in Zambia: an antibody profiling approach |
| title_short | Vibrio cholerae-specific antibodies in plasma and saliva in cholera patients during a severe outbreak in Zambia: an antibody profiling approach |
| title_sort | vibrio cholerae specific antibodies in plasma and saliva in cholera patients during a severe outbreak in zambia an antibody profiling approach |
| topic | cholera saliva plasma antibody immunology |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1641319/full |
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