HGE antibodies in sera of patients with TBE in the Czech Republic.
Altogether 112 sera from 67 patients hospitalised for tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) were tested for the presence of antibodies against human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE). Indirect immunofluorescence assay and western blotting were used for the screening and confirmation respectively. A laboratory culture of HGE agent in HL-60 cells served as an antigen supply. Commercially available human sera were used as positive controls; the respective IgG and IgM cut-offs of 1/80 and 1/40 were applied. Six patients (8.9%) exhibited specific IgG antibodies against HGE at or above the cut-off level, while no serum sample was shown to be IgM-reactive at the cut-off. The mean age of the subset of positive patients was 42 (+/- 16.7) years which exceeded that of the total TBE set averaging 37.5 (+/- 17.3) years. One patient, a woman aged 32, exhibited an elevated HGE titre of 1/80 on admission 15 days after TBE onset, that still slightly increased up to 1/160 by the end of the following week. Corresponding WB-pattern showed significant MSP, p30, and p28 bands. These findings suggest a case of concurrent TBE with HGE. Overall, this study demonstrates that TBE/HGE co-infections could be encountered in central Europe.
Zeman
Petr
P
Regional Centre of Hygiene, Prague, Czech Republic. zeman3@post.cz
Pazdiora
Petr
P
Cinatl
Jaroslav
J
D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D018153:Czech Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D004536:Ehrlichia / Q000276:immunology*; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004675:Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M