Immunization with meningococcal polysaccharide-tetanus toxoid conjugate induces polysaccharide-reactive T cells in mice.

The polysaccharide used in this study is a homopolymer of Alpha-(2 → 9)-linked sialic acid with O-acetyl groups on C-7 and/or C-8. Five CD4+ epitope-specific T cell clones were obtained that responded to the capsular polysaccharide of N. meningitidis serogroup C alone or conjugated to BSA, in the absence of conjugated tetanus toxoid. The response requires the presence of and direct contact to APCs, but the APCs could be either syngeneic or allogenenic. Authors suggest the response is not MHC restricted.