title: Serum antibodies to Klebsiella capsular polysaccharides in ankylosing spondylitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure antibodies to Klebsiella capsular polysaccharides in the sera of HLA-B27 positive patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), compared with HLA-B27 positive and HLA-B27 negative healthy control subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Antibodies were detected by means of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay specific for each of the 77 known Klebsiella serotypes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly elevated frequencies and titers of antibodies to capsular polysaccharides K26, K36, and K50 were detected in sera from AS patients, compared with controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest the predominance of Klebsiella serotypes K26, K36, and K50 in patients with AS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University of Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sahly
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Podschun
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sass
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bröker
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kekow
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ullmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000032:analysis; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007709:Klebsiella / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial