title: Treponemal antigens detected by immunoblotting with serum and CSF antibodies of neurosyphilitic patients.
abstract: Treponemal-antigen-eliciting antibodies in neurosyphilis were investigated by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis immunoblotting with 17 sera and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (16 pairs) from 10 neurosyphilitic patients. Sera and CSF detected identical proteins. IgG antibodies in sera and CSF mainly revealed Treponema pallidum proteins of MW 48, 45, 38 and 37 Kd, and T. phagedenis proteins of MW 59, 54, 41, 40, 35 and 33 Kd. Few proteins were detected by IgM antibodies. Although no particular protein elicited antibodies specific for neurosyphilis, the immunoblot detection of antibodies to T. pallidum or T. phagedenis antigens in CSF or sera should be useful as a diagnostic tool for neurosyphilis.
authors.affiliation: Service de Sérologie Nelson, Institut Pasteur, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Merlin
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Poncet
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alacoque
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guinet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: André
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D007118:Immunoassay; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009494:Neurosyphilis / Q000276:immunology*; D014208:Treponema / Q000276:immunology*; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007106:Immune Sera; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M