Antibody responses to Campylobacter infections determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay: 2-year follow-up study of 210 patients

Clin Diagn Lab Immunol. 2001 Mar;8(2):314-9. doi: 10.1128/CDLI.8.2.314-319.2001.

Abstract

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was adapted to measure immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, and IgA classes of human serum antibody to Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli. Heat-stable antigen, a combination of C. jejuni serotype O:1,44 and O:53 in the ratio 1:1, was used as a coating antigen in the ELISA test. A total of 631 sera from 210 patients with verified Campylobacter enteritis were examined at various intervals after infection, and a control group of 164 sera were tested to determine the cut-off for negative results. With a 90th percentile of specificity, IgG, IgM, and IgA showed a sensitivity of 71, 60, and 80%, respectively. By combining all three antibody classes, the sensitivity was 92% within 35 days after infection, whereas within 90 days after infection, a combined sensitivity of 90% was found (IgG 68%, IgM 52%, and IgA 76%). At follow-up of the patients, IgG antibodies were elevated 4.5 months after infection but exhibited a large degree of variation in antibody decay profiles. IgA and IgM antibodies were elevated during the acute phase of infection (up to 2 months from onset of infection). The antibody response did not depend on Campylobacter species or C. jejuni serotype, with the important exception of response to C. jejuni O:19, the serotype most frequently associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome. All of the patients infected with this serotype had higher levels of both IgM (P = 0.006) and IgA (P = 0.06) compared with other C. jejuni and C. coli serotypes.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
  • Antibody Specificity
  • Campylobacter Infections / diagnosis*
  • Campylobacter Infections / immunology*
  • Campylobacter coli / immunology
  • Campylobacter jejuni / immunology*
  • Child
  • Cross Reactions
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / methods*
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin A / blood
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Immunoglobulin M / blood
  • Middle Aged
  • Sensitivity and Specificity

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Immunoglobulin A
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M