Antibody responses to Campylobacter infections determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay: 2-year follow-up study of 210 patients.
An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was adapted to measure immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, and IgA classes of human serum antibody to Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli. Heat-stable antigen, a combination of C. jejuni serotype O:1,44 and O:53 in the ratio 1:1, was used as a coating antigen in the ELISA test. A total of 631 sera from 210 patients with verified Campylobacter enteritis were examined at various intervals after infection, and a control group of 164 sera were tested to determine the cut-off for negative results. With a 90th percentile of specificity, IgG, IgM, and IgA showed a sensitivity of 71, 60, and 80%, respectively. By combining all three antibody classes, the sensitivity was 92% within 35 days after infection, whereas within 90 days after infection, a combined sensitivity of 90% was found (IgG 68%, IgM 52%, and IgA 76%). At follow-up of the patients, IgG antibodies were elevated 4.5 months after infection but exhibited a large degree of variation in antibody decay profiles. IgA and IgM antibodies were elevated during the acute phase of infection (up to 2 months from onset of infection). The antibody response did not depend on Campylobacter species or C. jejuni serotype, with the important exception of response to C. jejuni O:19, the serotype most frequently associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome. All of the patients infected with this serotype had higher levels of both IgM (P = 0.006) and IgA (P = 0.06) compared with other C. jejuni and C. coli serotypes.
Department of Gastrointestinal Infections, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark.
M A
MA
Strid
J
J
Engberg
L B
LB
Larsen
K
K
Begtrup
K
K
Mølbak
K A
KA
Krogfelt
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*; D017000:Campylobacter coli / Q000276:immunology; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M