title: Diagnostic value of detection of IgM antibodies to Helicobacter pylori.
abstract: This report describes the diagnostic value of anti-Helicobacter pylori IgM detection. Serum samples from 9043 symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals were evaluated with ELISA for the presence of anti-H. pylori IgG, IgM, and IgA. The specificity of detected IgM was confirmed by inhibition and cross-reactivity assays. Treatment of IgM-positive specimens with 1% 2-mercaptoethanol resulted in approximately 90% inhibition. Our data suggest a low level of cross-reactivity (5%) between H. pylori and four different enteropathogenic bacteria tested. The specificity of anti-H. pylori IgM was also demonstrated by Western blot and linearity studies. Data show that the detected IgM is highly specific. Western blot analysis revealed a variable IgM response to H. pylori antigens among patients, with the most reactive antigenic fractions being in the range of 55- to 100-kDa. Overall, the data confirm the diagnostic value of anti-H. pylori IgM detection. The prevalence of IgM antibodies to H. pylori in tested sera was significantly higher in symptomatic patients (10.4%) than in asymptomatic individuals (1.1%). Likewise, the percentage of sera positive for IgM alone was higher in symptomatic than in asymptomatic groups (3.8 vs 0.22%). About 5% of sera were positive only for IgA. We concluded that ELISA can be used for the detection of specific IgM to H. pylori and that the presence or absence of IgM antibodies to H. pylori may reflect whether or not an acute infection exists.
authors.affiliation: Micro Detect, Inc., Tustin, California 92780, USA. malem@flash.net
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alem
authors.forename: Neda
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alem
authors.forename: Hartley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: England
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hamedi
authors.forename: Mitra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moussazadeh
authors.forename: Jo Ann
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Guo Qiu
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007075:Immunoglobulin M