title: [Time course of the levels of antibodies to Coxiella burnetii and detection of C. burnetii-DNA in three imported cases of acute Q fever].
abstract: Three patients developed acute Q fever after returning from an inspection tour of farms and abattoirs to Australia. Serum levels of antibodies to Coxiella burnetii and the presence of C. burnetii-DNA in blood samples were examined for more than 100 days. Four-fold raises of IgM and IgG antibodies against C. burnetii phase 2 were observed within the first three weeks in all the three cases. Maximum titers of IgM and IgG antibodies were 1,024-2,048 and 512-4,096, respectively. According to the temporal diagnostic criteria of acute Q fever in the convalescent serum: the IgM titer of > or = 64 and IgG titer of > or = 512 against phase 2, patient A, B and C were determined to be antibody positive for 45, 199 and 122 days, respectively. The result suggests that this standard is practical and reasonable for diagnosis of acute Q fever. C. burnetti-DNA was detected in the sera and buffy coat samples of patient A who developed high fever, severe thrombocytopenia and liver disfunction, but not in those of patient B and C. This study provides useful information for optimization and standardization of Q fever diagnosis in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Kawamoto Hospital, Tottori Prefecture.
authors.forename: Motohiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Tomohide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawamoto
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawamoto
authors.forename: Teruo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Katsuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Agus
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Setiyono
authors.forename: Sadashi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shiga
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D011778:Q Fever / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D014195:Travel
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial