title: Yersinia infection and acute abdominal pain.
abstract: In 194 patients presenting with acute abdominal pain from whom sequential serum samples were taken, the frequency of yersiniosis, established serologically, was significantly higher (23%) than in 320 control subjects (2%). Yersiniosis occurred in 31% of patients with acute appendicitis. Acute-phase serum samples only, obtained in a further 307 patients, yielded a falsely low frequency of yersiniosis (4%). Y pseudotuberculosis was five times more common than Y enterocolitica, and Y pseudotuberculosis type IV was the most common serotype, accounting for 43% of Yersinia infections. Yersinia may play a more important part in the aetiology of acute abdominal pain, and particularly acute appendicitis, than has been previously appreciated. Antibody titres to both Y enterocolitica and Y pseudotuberculosis frequently rise late in infections causing abdominal pain. Consequently analysis of acute-phase serum samples alone leads to underdiagnosis of yersiniosis.
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D012621:Seasons; D015009:Yersinia Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015008:Yersinia enterocolitica / Q000276:immunology; D015011:Yersinia pseudotuberculosis / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial