Correlation between anti-Proteus antibodies and isolation rates of P. mirabilis in rheumatoid arthritis.
In a survey of 89 RA patients, carried out under code, Proteus mirabilis was isolated from the urine of 63% (47/75) of female (P < 0.001) and 50% (7/14) of male patients (P < 0.001), compared to a frequency of isolation in healthy women of 32% (38/119) and 11% (13/115) in healthy men. There was no significant difference in isolation rates between 37 non-RA patients and healthy controls. Sera from 20 patients with RA and 20 healthy controls were tested against P. mirabilis and Escherichia coli by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Antibodies against P. mirabilis but not to E. coli were significantly higher in the RA patients than in healthy controls (P < 0.001). Furthermore, a positive correlation was found between high anti-Proteus antibody levels in serum samples and the number of Proteus colony-forming units obtained from urine specimens of the 20 RA patients (r = +0.714, P < 0.001). These results support the suggestion of an aetiopathogenic role for P. mirabilis in RA.
Wilson
C
C
Immunology Section, King's College, London, UK.
Thakore
A
A
Isenberg
D
D
Ebringer
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000032:analysis; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011512:Proteus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D011513:Proteus mirabilis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014556:Urine / Q000382:microbiology
D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G