Lethal Factor Toxemia and Anti-Protective Antigen Antibody Activity in Naturally Acquired Cutaneous Anthrax

Abstract

Cutaneous anthrax outbreaks occurred in Bangladesh from August to October 2009. As part of the epidemiological response and to confirm anthrax diagnoses, serum samples were collected from suspected case patients with observed cutaneous lesions. Anthrax lethal factor (LF), anti-protective antigen (anti-PA) immunoglobulin G (IgG), and anthrax lethal toxin neutralization activity (TNA) levels were determined in acute and convalescent serum of 26 case patients with suspected cutaneous anthrax from the first and largest of these outbreaks. LF (0.005–1.264 ng/mL) was detected in acute serum from 18 of 26 individuals. Anti-PA IgG and TNA were detected in sera from the same 18 individuals and ranged from 10.0 to 679.5 μg/mL and 27 to 593 units, respectively. Seroconversion to serum anti-PA and TNA was found only in case patients with measurable toxemia. This is the first report of quantitative analysis of serum LF in cutaneous anthrax and the first to associate acute stage toxemia with subsequent antitoxin antibody responses.

Quantification of the Adenylate Cyclase Toxin of Bordetella pertussisIn Vitroand during Respiratory Infection

“…Unlike most infections with Vibrio cholerae and Clostridium difficile, infection with Bacillus anthracis is characterized by toxemia. Anthrax lethal factor has been measured in the blood from human cases of cutaneous anthrax, at concentrations up to 1.26 ng/ml (70), and in the blood and pleural fluid of humans and monkeys with inhalational anthrax, at concentrations of Ͼ500 ng/ml (71,72). Measurement of anthrax toxin levels in target organ tissues has not been reported and requires knowledge of the relevant target tissue and a tissue-specific method for toxin quantification.…”

TACAN is an essential component of the mechanosensitive ion channel responsible for pain sensing

“…Many of these functions require mechanotransduction at the micro-to millisecond scale, suggesting that the transducers are mechanosensitive ion channels (MSCs). This is confirmed by the recent discovery of genes responsible for our senses or touch (Ranade et al, 2014b), hearing (Pan et al, 2013), and proprioception (Boyer et al, 2011;Woo et al, 2015). Yet the genes responsible for our most unwanted experience of mechanotransduction, our sense of pain, remain elusive.…”

“…They rely on a cellular phenomenon called mechanotransduction, during which mechanical forces are converted into electrical signals. This vital process underlies several physiological functions such as hearing, touch, pain, and proprioception (Boyer et al, 2011;Chalfie, 2009;Li et al, 2012;Woo et al, 2015), as well as the myogenic tone of resistance arteries (Sharif-Naeini et al, 2009), fluid homeostasis and the sensation of thirst (Bourque, 2008;Zaelzer et al, 2015), and flow sensing in kidney tubules (Peyronnet et al, 2012). Many of these functions require mechanotransduction at the micro-to millisecond scale, suggesting that the transducers are mechanosensitive ion channels (MSCs).…”

Anti-Protective Antigen IgG Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Diagnosis of Cutaneous Anthrax in India

“…Earlier reports also showed that anti-PA IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is a valuable tool for confirmation of cutaneous and inhalational anthrax cases (19). In a recent study, anti-PA IgG and anthrax lethal toxin neutralization activity levels were found to be very useful for detection and confirmation of natural cutaneous anthrax cases in Bangladesh (1).…”