title: Variability of anti-staphylococcal antibodies in healthy volunteers and pre-cardiac surgery patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pre-operative antibody levels have been shown to be inversely related to development of post-operative complications. Staphylococcal infection is a major source of morbidity following surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the variability of anti-staphylococcal antibody levels across a group of healthy volunteers and compared this with patients scheduled to undergo cardiac surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pre-operative cardiac surgical patients exhibited significantly higher levels of staphylococcal antibodies compared with healthy volunteers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relationship between pre-surgery staphylococcal antibody levels and outcome warrants further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Sarka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moravcova
authors.affiliation: Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kyle
authors.affiliation: Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Hilary
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shanahan
authors.affiliation: Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Savvas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giannaris
authors.affiliation: Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hamilton-Davies
keywords: Antibody; Complication; EndoCAb; Infection; Pre-operative; Staphylococcus