title: Agglutinins and antibodies to Francisella tularensis outer membrane antigens in the early diagnosis of disease during an outbreak of tularemia.
abstract: Tularemia was diagnosed in 57 patients during an outbreak in central Norway in 1984 and 1985. Clinical categories of the disease showed seasonal variations. A bacterial microagglutination test and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with class-specific antibodies against Francisella tularensis outer membrane (OM) antigens were evaluated for the early diagnosis of tularemia. ELISA with immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA, or IgM antibodies and the microagglutination test differed only marginally in diagnostic sensitivity. The OM preparation harbored F. tularensis agglutinogens and contained a variety of proteins, several of which functioned as immunogens in tularemia patients, as shown by Western blotting (immunoblotting). All 12 patients tested produced antibodies against a 43,000-molecular-weight OM protein. Individual variation was noted with regard to antibody response against other OM antigens. The OM is a suitable antigen preparation in ELISA for the diagnosis of tularemia and, presumably, contains antigens important in the immunobiology of tularemia.
authors: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Trondheim, Norway.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Bevanger
authors: J A
authors: JA
authors: Maeland
authors: A I
authors: AI
authors: Naess
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000373:Agglutinins / Q000032:analysis; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005604:Francisella tularensis / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D014406:Tularemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000373:Agglutinins; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D007136:Immunoglobulins