Physicochemical analysis of purified diphtheria toxoids: is toxoided then purified the same as purified then toxoided?

Abstract

Diphtheria toxin can be converted into a highly immunogenic and irreversibly detoxified vaccine either using the conventional process in which the crude toxin is formalinised and subsequently purified (DTxd(conv)) or by detoxification of the highly purified toxin (DTxd(new)). In this study, both DTxd(new) and DTxd(conv) were evaluated by use of physico-chemical methods. For some methods, results were also compared to those obtained for cross-reacting material (CRM197), which is a non-toxic mutant of diphtheria toxin. DTxd(new) was assayed to have a specific purity of at least 2300 LF/mg protein N, thereby exceeding Pharm. Eur. requirements by up to 35%. Superior purity of DTxd(new) could also be demonstrated by size exclusion HPLC experiments and by amino acid composition studies. Far-UV circular dichroism spectroscopy revealed that the secondary structure of DTxd(new) almost resembled that of CRM197, suggesting only minor molecular changes during detoxification. This study worked out differences between purified diphtheria toxoids. Physico-chemical means revealed the advantages of DTxd(new) being the purer and more defined product, thus making it highly efficient for its use as a vaccine carrier as well as a component of vaccine combinations.

• Authors: C Frech, A K Hilbert, G Hartmann, K Mayer, T Sauer, B Bolgiano
• Journal: Developments in biologicals (Dev Biol (Basel)) Vol. 103 Pg. 205-15 ( 2000) ISSN: 1424-6074 [Print] Switzerland
• PMID: 11214238 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Amino Acids
• Diphtheria Toxoid

Topics

• Amino Acids (analysis)
• Chemical Phenomena
• Chemistry, Physical
• Chromatography, Gel
• Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
• Circular Dichroism
• Diphtheria Toxoid (chemistry, isolation & purification)
• Humans
• Isoelectric Focusing
• Molecular Weight
• Protein Structure, Secondary
• Scattering, Radiation