Detection of serum and faecal antibodies in haemorrhagic colitis caused by Escherichia coli O157

Abstract

Summary. Cases of culture-confirmed clinically typical haemorrhagic colitis caused by verocytotoxin-producing (VT+) Escherichia coli 0 157 and age-and sex-matched control patients were examined for antibodies to E. coli 0157. Serum samples from 28 cases and 34 patients in control group 1 were examined for VT,-and VT,-neutralising antibodies, E. coli 0 157 agglutinating antibodies, and by an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) technique for IgG antibodies against smooth lipopolysaccharide purified from E. coli 0157 and for IgG antibodies against whole intact E. coli 0 1 57 cells. Differences between antibody titres were significant when compared by a Wilcoxon two-sample test for E. coli 0157 agglutinating antibodies (p < 0.05) and IgG antibodies against whole cells (p < 0.001). The whole-cell EIA was used further to examine faecal samples from 93 cases and 47 patients in control group 2 for IgA antibodies. Elevated levels of faecal IgA specific for E. coli 0157 were found in 59 (63.4 O/ O) of 93 cases but in only 10 (21.2 YO) of 47 control patients (p < 0.001); follow-up faecal samples from five cases all showed marked rises in levels of IgA that appeared to coincide with cessation of excretion of the organism. Detection of specific faecal IgA with a whole-cell EIA, although requiring further evaluation, may be a useful addition to tests currently available for the diagnosis of infection by VT+ E. coli 0157.

Autonomic neurotransmitters modulate immunoglobulin A secretion in porcine colonic mucosa

“…Intestinal infection by E. coli O157:H7 is associated with the production of sIgA directed against lipopolysaccharide and other microbial surface antigens (Siddons and Chapman, 1993). We tested the hypothesis that acute E. coli O157:H7 exposure to the colonic mucosa, a major target for infection by this microorganism, activates local neural reflexes linked to sIgA secretion.…”

Escherichia coli O157 serology: false-positive ELISA results caused by human antibodies binding to bovine serum albumin

“…Bovine serum albumin is used widely as a blocking reagent for ELISA tests screening for antibodies to the LPS of E. coli O157 (Siddons and Chapman 1993 ;Greatorex and Thorne 1994). The results of this study emphasized the importance of comprehensive ELISA criteria to ensure that non-specific binding of antibodies to blocking reagents is detected.…”

Sources of Escherichia coli O157 and experiences over the past 15 years in Sheffield, UK

“…Direct culture of faecal samples onto cefixime rhamnose sorbitol MacConkey agar failed to grow E. coli 0157 from any of the symptomatic patients, and direct culture onto cefixime tellurite sorbitol MacConkey agar isolated the organism from only one patient. In contrast, a combination of isolation of E. coli 0157 by IMS and detection of E. coli0157-specific secretory IgA by an enzyme immunoassay (Siddons and Chapman 1993), suggested E. coli 0157 infection in all eight symptomatic patients, but not in any of the family members who were not ill. The outbreak clearly illustrated the need to use the most sensitive methods available during both the investigation and the follow up of cases of E. coli 0157 infection.…”