DEMONSTRATION OF <i>FRANCISELLA TULARENSIS</i> (SYN. <i>PASTEURELLA TULARENSIS</i>) IN SYLVAN ANIMALS WITH THE AID OF FLUORESCENT ANTIBODIES

Karlsson, K.; Dahlstrand, Sverker; Hankø, Erik; Söderlind, O.

doi:10.1111/j.1699-0463.1970.tb04351.x

Cited by 2 publications

References 4 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Immunological Diagnosis of Human Tularemia

Carlsson¹,

Lindberg²,

Lindberg³

et al. 1979

J Clin Microbiol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied for immunological diagnosis of human tularemia, using lipopolysaccharide from Francisella tularensis as antigen. Sera collected from patients, healthy individuals, and vaccinated volunteers were investigated for antibodies against F. tularensis by ELISA and tube agglutination. In ELISA all sera were titrated with a polyspecific anti-immunoglobulin enzyme conjugate. A limited number of consecutive sera from individual patients were also investigated for immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM antibodies by means of immunoglobulin class-specific conjugates. On an average ELISA was more than 10-fold as sensitive as tube agglutination. Two weeks after onset of disease, sera from patients had significantly higher titers in ELISA than sera from healthy controls. High titers persisted after more than 2 years. Significant amounts of both IgG and IgM antibodies were present within 1 to 2 weeks after infection. The antibody activity increased during the first month, without any significant change of the relation between IgG and IgM titers. After 2.5 years the IgG/IgM titer ratio of sera from patients was significantly increased. Within 6 weeks after vaccination sera from about half of the vaccinees had significantly elevated titers in ELISA. Titers observed after vaccination were generally lower than those found after infection. An elevated ELISA titer can be of diagnostic importance by the end of the first week of illness. A significant increase of titer in consecutive serum samples indicates a diagnosis of tularemia. Determination of IgG and IgM antibodies may be of value in determing whether a positive titer of a single serum sample is of longstanding or recent origin.

show abstract