Briefly, OMVs from serogroup B meningococci were adsorbed to fluorescent polystyrene latex microspheres (Fluoresbrite Plain Microspheres, Polysciences, Warrington, Pennsylvania) of approximately size of meningococci (1 μm of diameter). FITC was incorporated within the polymer, leaving the surface free to adsorb

the protein. The latex beads (500 μl, 4.55 × 1010 beads/ml) buy BMS-354825 were centrifuged at 15,600 × g for 5 min, and the pellet was suspended in a 940 μg/ml solution of OMV in 0.1 M borate buffer (0.1 M boric acid, adjusted to pH 8.5) followed by end-to-end rotation overnight (20 h) at 20 °C. After additional blocking of unreacted sites on the OMV beads with 2% bovine serum albumin (BSA) in 0.1 M borate buffer, the OMV-bead pellet was suspended in storage buffer (0.1 M phosphate buffer, containing 5% glycerol, 0.02% merthiolate and 1% BSA, pH 7.4), and kept protected from daylight in aliquots

at 4 °C until used. The antigen coated bead suspensions (100 μl, 3.3 × 108 beads/ml) were opsonised for 8 min with 25 μl of diluted test serum (1:20) previously heat inactivated at 56 °C for 30 min, with a total sample volume of 400 μl obtained by addition of PBS–BSA, supplemented with CaCl2 (0.98 mM) and MgCl2 (1 mM). 25 μl of human serum that lacked detectable intrinsic opsonisation activity diluted at 1% was added to the reaction and were incubated with end-to-end rotation for 8 min at 37 °C. Donor leukocytes (100 μl, 1.25 × 107/ml) were added and the suspensions Etomidate were incubated for 8 min. Phagocytosis was terminated by adding 1.5 ml of ice-cold PBS supplemented with 0.02% EDTA. The suspensions were kept on ice until analyzed Carfilzomib mw by a FACScalibur flow cytometer [16]. The levels of significance of the differences between groups were examined by Paired or Unpaired t test (parametric tests) For nonparametric data we used Mann–Whitney test (unpaired samples) or Wilcoxon matched pair test (paired samples). These analyses were performed with a GraphPad-Prism software, version 4.02. P < 0.05 was taken as significant. Fig. 1A shows the percent of specific

memory B-cells detected as specific ASC after in vitro stimulation of peripheral blood memory B-cells for 6 days. Memory B-cells were detected only in one individual 7 days after the first dose (0.5%) and in 2 individuals at 14 days (mean of 0.16%). A significant memory B-cell response was seen 7 days (mean of 0.27%) and 14 days (mean of 0.46%) after the third vaccination. At this time, memory B-cells were detected in all individuals, with frequencies varying from 0.14 to 0.95%. A significant decrease of memory B-cells was recorded 6 months (mean of 0.03%) later (pre-booster). Surprisingly, 14 days after the booster dose, only 2 of 5 individuals responded with an increase in memory B-cell frequencies with values of 0.15% and 0.34% (mean of 0.1% for all individuals). As can be seen in Fig. 1B, we observed a continuous and gradual decrease (P > 0.