title: Genus-specific leptospiral antigen and its possible use in laboratory diagnosis.
abstract: Sheep red cells, sensitized with a genus-specific leptospiral substance extracted from a water leptospira, were preserved by freeze drying. The serological reactivity of the preparation was tested against a total of 41 sera from proven cases of human leptospirosis and 27 from proven cases of animal leptospirosis. The sensitized, freeze-dried red cells appeared to be a sensitive reagent for the detection of leptospiral antibodies by haemagglutination. The use of this reagent as a screening test for leptospiral diagnosis is discussed. In the reported haemagglutination test on human and rabbit antisera the findings suggested that only IgM (19S) antibodies took part in the reaction.
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005612:Freeze Drying; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D007122:Immunoelectrophoresis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007919:Leptospira / Q000276:immunology*; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D008623:Mercaptoethanol; D011817:Rabbits; D012698:Serologic Tests; D012756:Sheep / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007106:Immune Sera; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D008623:Mercaptoethanol