title: Serum antibody response to Bacteroides fragilis in women with abscesses following hysterectomy.
abstract: To determine the role of Bacteroides fragilis in the development of infectious complications following hysterectomy, serum antibody to the capsular polysaccharide was measured with a radioactive antigen-binding assay in 53 women before and several days after surgery. Patients with postoperative abscess formation had a significantly greater mean increase in antibody concentration (4.91 micrograms/ml) than those without complications (0.62 micrograms/ml), those with wound infection (1.90 micrograms/ml), those with pelvic cellulitis (0.63 micrograms/ml), and those with febrile morbidity (0.95 micrograms/ml). There were no significant differences among the latter 4 groups. The authors conclude that B fragilis may play an important role in abscess formation following hysterectomy, but is infrequently involved in other infectious complications of this procedure.
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001442:Bacteroides Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D001441:Bacteroides fragilis / Q000276:immunology; D002481:Cellulitis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010388:Pelvis; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000276:immunology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial