title: Antibody-secreting cells in acute urinary tract infection as indicators of local immune response.
abstract: Mucosal immune mechanisms are believed to be important in host defense against urinary tract infection. To study the human immune response in the urinary tract, peripheral blood antibody-secreting cells (ASC), believed to originate from the mucosal surfaces, were investigated with the enzyme-linked immunospot assay. Pathogen-specific ASC were found in 17 (89%) of 19 patients with pyelonephritis and in 12 (70%) of 17 with LUTI (lower urinary tract infection); for infections caused by Escherichia coli, the respective figures were 17 (100%) and 10 (71%). The responses in pyelonephritis were stronger (P < .001) and lasted longer than those in LUTI: 15 patients with pyelonephritis (74%) but only 1 with LUTI (6%) had > 100 ASC/10(6) cells. A similar difference was seen in the number of all immunoglobulin-secreting cells. The ASC assay offers a new means for assessing the human immune response in urinary tract infection and may be useful in localizing the infection. It might prove valuable in predicting harmful postinfection processes.
authors.affiliation: National Public Health Institute, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kantele
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Papunen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Virtanen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Möttönen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Räsänen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ala-Kaila
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Mäkelä
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arvilommi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000652:urine; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011704:Pyelonephritis / Q000276:immunology*; D014551:Urinary Tract / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial