Antibody levels against B. pertussis in neonates measured in dried blood spots.
OBJECTIVE
We designed this study to investigate if immunoglobuline G-Pertussis toxin (IgG-PT) against Bordetella pertussis in umbilical cord blood can reliably be determined in dried blood spots on filter paper (Guthrie) cards.


METHODS
We prospectively included 129 mothers and their newborns born in a general hospital in the Netherlands. The relation between IgG-PT against B. pertussis from the umbilical cord measured in dried blood spots (Guthrie card) and in serum samples was studied by means of a Bland-Altman graph, using regression analysis to evaluate the level of agreement of both measurement methods.


RESULTS
IgG-PT in Guthrie cards show a high coefficient of correlation with IgG-PT in serum samples from the umbilical cord when calibrated against blood spot calibrators (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Maternal IgG-PT against B. pertussis measured in cord blood applied to Guthrie cards and calibrated against blood spot calibrators show good agreement with measurement of IgG-PT in cord serum. This offers new perspectives for future studies concerning B. pertussis antibodies.
Department of Pediatrics, Groene Hart Ziekenhuis, Postbus 1098, 2800 BB Gouda, The Netherlands. christivanommen@hotmail.com
C C N
CC
van Ommen
L H
LH
Elvers
D W
DW
Notermans
J C M
JC
van Huisseling
P F M
PF
Teunis
F G A
FG
Versteegh
D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D001886:Bordetella pertussis / Q000276:immunology*; D002138:Calibration; D059788:Dried Blood Spot Testing; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009426:Netherlands; D037342:Pertussis Toxin / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D037342:Pertussis Toxin