title: Application of anti-leptospira ELISA-IgM for the etiologic elucidation of meningitis.
abstract: Leptospirosis is one of the causes of meningitis, although its importance is not well known. In the present study we contributed to this knowledge by demonstrating specific IgM class anti-leptospira antibodies by the immunoenzymatic method ELISA in 14.6% of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 171 patients with meningitis considered to be of indeterminate etiology. The frequencies of positivity were similar in cases with predominance of polymorphonuclear or lymphomonuclear leucocytes in the CSF. Age distribution showed a predominance of the 5 to 15 year age range (72%), and sex distribution showed a predominance of males (68%). The authors discuss the contribution of this method to the etiologic elucidation of meningitis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Camargo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Vaz
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Barbosa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007919:Leptospira / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D008581:Meningitis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D017678:Sex Distribution
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007075:Immunoglobulin M