Influence of brucellosis history on serological diagnosis and evolution of patients with acute brucellosis

J Infect. 2008 Nov;57(5):397-403. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2008.08.005. Epub 2008 Oct 2.

Abstract

Serological diagnosis of human brucellosis is problematic in endemic brucellosis regions and with patients having a history of brucellosis. The aim of this study is to ascertain the serologic and evolutionary behavior of the tests of serum agglutination, Coombs anti-Brucella, immunocapture-agglutination, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) IgG, IgA, IgM and ELISA-IgG avidity against Brucella lipopolysaccharide (S-LPS), in patients with acute brucellosis based on whether or not a history of brucellosis exists. Titers and seropositivity in all the tests assayed were higher in the patients having brucellosis history (from 90.9% in ELISA-IgM to 100% in ELISA-IgG) than in the patients lacking such history (from 79.3% in ELISA-IgM to 86.2% in Coombs, immunocapture-agglutination, and ELISA-IgG). IgG S-LPS avidity results in patients with brucellosis history were significantly higher (always over 84%) than in patients without brucellosis history (from 48.0% in the initial sera to 81% ten months later) (p<0.001). The titers of antibodies against Brucella in the initial sera and ELISA-IgG avidity against S-LPS may allow distinguishing patients with brucellosis caused by primary infection in the initial stages of the disease from patients seropositive due to prior infections from Brucella.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Agglutination Tests
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood*
  • Brucella / immunology*
  • Brucellosis / diagnosis*
  • Brucellosis / immunology
  • Child
  • Coombs Test
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Recurrence
  • Serologic Tests
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial