title: Humoral immune responses to Shiga-like toxins and Escherichia coli O157 lipopolysaccharide in hemolytic-uremic syndrome patients and healthy subjects.
abstract: Shiga-like-toxin (SLT)-producing Escherichia coli strains, especially serotype O157:H7, are important causes of bloody diarrhea and are associated with the development of hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were developed for the serologic detection of immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgG, and IgA to Shiga toxin (ST) and SLT-I, IgG to SLT-II, and IgM and IgG reactive against E. coli O157 lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Serum samples were collected from 27 HUS patients (25 pediatric and 2 adult) and tested in the ELISAs. Of 27 patients, 10 (37%) were positive for at least one class of antibody to ST/SLT-I. None of the patients were positive for IgG antibody to SLT-II. Twenty-one of the 27 patients (78%) were positive for antibody to E. coli O157 LPS; 19 of 27 (70%) were positive for IgM, and 20 of 27 (74%) were positive for IgG. None of 48 control serum samples were positive in any of the toxin assays, and only 1 of 48 (2%) and 2 of 48 (4%) were positive for IgM and IgG, respectively, to E. coli O157 LPS. Twelve of the 24 patients (50%) from whom stool specimens were collected were positive by culture for E. coli O157. Overall, serology and culture produced confirmation of infection by SLT-producing organisms in 23 of 27 (85%) HUS patients. A combination of ELISA for antibodies to E. coli O157 LPS and culture provided evidence for 22 of 27 (82%) of these patients. The results indicate that while ELISAs for ST/SLT-I and SLT-II antibodies were of limited diagnostic value, the ELISAs for IgM and IgG to E. coli O157 LPS provided valuable and sensitive adjuncts to culture.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Division, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Greatorex
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Thorne
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006463:Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012703:Serotyping; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2