Detection of verocytotoxin from stool and serological testing of patients with diarrhea caused by Escherichia coli O157 : H7.
The detection of verocytotoxin (VT) in stool and measurement of antibodies against VT and three antigens (unheated-antigen, LPS, and flagellin) of Escherichia coli O157 : H7 in the serum of patients with diarrhea were examined. Five of 14 inpatients during an outbreak had fecal VT2 in stool taken within 5 days of onset to hospitalization. Among these 5, 3 of them also had fecal VT-producing E. coli (VTEC) serotype O157 : H7, whereas the other 2 did not. In the passive hemagglutination (PHA) test with formalinized sheep red blood cells sensitized with three VTEC O157 : H7 antigens, 49 (74.2%) of 66 outbreak patients and 3 of 3 sporadic cases had antibodies against both or one of unheated-antigen and LPS of E. coli O157, but none had antibody against flagellin. In addition, anti-VT2 antibody was demonstrated in serum samples from 15 (94%) of 16 inpatients and 2 (4%) of 50 outpatients in an outbreak by a VT-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (VT-ELISA). These results showed that serological assay particularly for antibodies against VT and unheated-antigen or LPS of VTEC O157 may provide a useful tool for diagnosis of infection with VTEC O157.
Department of Microbiology, Tokyo Metropolitan Research Laboratory of Public Health, Japan.
S
S
Yamada
S
S
Matsushita
A
A
Kai
M
M
Sasaki
A
A
Tsuji
T
T
Kanemitsu
N
N
Yamashita
E
E
Anzai
Y
Y
Kudoh
D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003092:Colitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005408:Flagellin / Q000276:immunology; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006463:Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1; D005408:Flagellin