Extremely high titers of serum antibodies against the streptococcal exoenzyme deoxyribonuclease B

Abstract

In sera from 4 of 25,000 individuals tested for antibodies against streptococci, extremely high antideoxyribonuclease B titers ( > 10(6) U/ml) were found. Two of the cases were diagnosed as monoclonal gammopathies. The M-components were shown to possess the anti-deoxyribonuclease B activity. The other two cases were diagnosed as relapsing erysipelas. The high serum titers of deoxyribonuclease B antibodies were accompanied by a very inflammatory reactivity in the patients' sera and by an oligopolyclonal pattern of immunoglobulin G. In routine diagnoses of streptococcal infections with the anti-deoxyribonuclease B test, patients with extremely high serum titers should be examined for the possible occurrence of gammopathies.

Streptococcal DNase B Is Immunologically Identical to Superantigen SpeF but Involves Separate Domains

“…Thus, the antibody response against the SpeF mitogenrelated epitopes seemed to be more long lasting. High antibody titers in antiserum to DNase B are generally regarded as an indication of a recent history of GAS infection (4,6), while antibodies to the mitogen-related epitopes, according to the results in the present report, persist at higher levels over time. Thus, at least in adults, the presence of DNase B titers in human serum may be a better indicator of recent GAS infections than the SpeF neutralization levels.…”

“…Antisera against SpeA, SpeB, and SpeF were raised in rabbits, and SpeF-specific synthetic peptides conjugated to Keyhole limpet hemocyanin (Scandinavian Peptide Synthesis, Köping, Sweden) were used as described previously (2). In the ADNase B assay, a serum sample with inhibitory capacity at a dilution of Ն1:400 is regarded as positive (6). As a negative control, rabbit polyclonal antisera specific for SpeA and SpeB were used.…”

The value of bacteriology and serology in the diagnosis of cellulitis and erysipelas

“…Leppard et al ( Dowsett et al, 1975), single samples of patients' sera were tested for anti-streptolysin O (ASO) and anti-deoxyribonuclease B (ADB) antibodies. In another study, sera yielding high titres in the ADB test were reviewed (Hederstedt, Holm & Norberg, 1980) and two of four such sera were from patients with recurrent erysipelas. These findings suggested that a serological study of patients with erysipelas and cellulitis would be informative.…”