Prevalence of antibodies in response to Legionella species, analysis of a healthy population from Jeollanam-do Province, Korea

Abstract

Seroepidemological investigation of antibodies to Legionella species in 500 healthy individuals from a single geographical location in Korea was conducted by indirect fluorescent antibody assay (IFA). Considering an antibody titer of > or =1:128 as positive reaction, 15.2% of total sera were positive. In males and females older than 40 years old, levels of IgM and IgG were 1.2% and 14%, respectively. The sera with antibody titers of > or =1:128 to Legionella species accounted for 85 sera, and 9 sera of these were reacted to more than one Legionella species. Reactivity to L. bozemanii, L. micdadei, L. longbeachae, L. pneumophila sg 6, and L. gormanii were 32.9%, 20%, 15%, 10.6%, and 8%, respectively. However, L. pneumophila sg 1, sg 2, and sg 3 did not react to any sera. Serological analysis revealed that the level of antibody in response to L. bozemanii was more prevalent than L. pneumophila. Our results suggest that the antibodies of non-L. pneumophila species, such as L. bozemanii, may be highly prevalent in healthy population within Korea. Although conclusions based on the findings of this study must be cautiously considered given that the population sampled were sourced from a single province, we have added to the knowledge base of serodiagnosis of infections due to non-L. pneumophila species in Korea.

Systemic antibody responses to gut commensal bacteria during chronic HIV-1 infection

“…No or only very weak responses were detectable against the non-persistent human pathogen L pneumophila (figure 2B). This is consistent with previous reports which state <20% of a population to have antibodies against L pneumophila 36 37…”

Current and Emerging Legionella Diagnostics for Laboratory and Outbreak Investigations

“…Healthy populations across geographically diverse parts of the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Japan, South Korea, China, and former Soviet states display a large variation in seroprevalence for all legionellae, which additionally supports a reexamination of local Legionella exposures and the value of Lp1-specific UATs for diagnosing most LD cases (153)(154)(155)(156)(157)(158)(159)(289)(290)(291)(292)(293)(294)(295)(296)(297)(298)(299)(300)(301)(302)(303). This underscores a pressing need for the development of more inclusive Legionella rapid diagnostics; to be useful in a basic laboratory or POC setting, a pan-Legionella UAT would ostensibly be as simple to perform as current tests while detecting additional species and serogroups with similar efficiencies.…”

“…Indeed, seroprevalence studies in many countries have demonstrated potential ongoing exposure to diverse Legionella serogroups and species, which typically contrasts with the greater clinical prevalence of Lp1 (153)(154)(155)(156)(157)(158)(159)(160). As such, substantial effort has been devoted to characterizing Lp1 virulence determinants, such as secreted effectors or surface factors.…”

“…The majority (5.5% out of a total of 7%) of serology testing in the European Union is performed with a single, high convalescent-phase titer (120), which can be problematic, since prior exposure cannot be ruled out, even at titers of Ͼ1:256 (238,314). A growing list of studies suggests that elevated Ig titers for Legionella can be detected in Ͻ1% to almost 30% of healthy individuals, depending on age, location, work environment, and, occasionally, gender (154,155,158,288,293,297,315). Of potential importance, the use of different in-house-developed and commercially developed IFA and EIA antigen preparations may complicate the interpretation of antibody titers for Legionella, especially across time and from different studies.…”

Τυποποίηση στελεχών λεγεωνέλλας pneumophila ορότυπων 2-14 και ανίχνευση γονιδίων παθογονικότητας

“…Οη θάξηεο απηέο νη νπνίεο αλαπηχρζεθαλ ζηα κέζα ηεο δεθαεηίαο απφ ηε Life Technologies, κπνξνχλ πνιχ γξήγνξα λα αληρλεχζνπλ έθθξαζε γνληδίσλ ζε δηάθνξα ζηάδηα κηαο λφζνπ. Δξεπλεηέο ζην CDC αλάπηπμαλ TACs γηα ηελ ηαπηφρξνλε αλίρλεπζε > 20 αλαπλεπζηηθψλ παζνγφλσλ, ζπκπεξηιακβαλνκέλνπ ηεο Λεγεσλέιιαο (Diaz et al, 2013;Kodani and Winchell, 2012 (Yanez et al, 2005;Sethi, Gore and Sethi, 2007;Fuchslin et al, 2010;Allegra et al, 2011;Reidt et al, 2011;Keserue et al, 2012;Albalat et al, 2012;Bedrina et al, 2013 (Granados et al, 1989;Lee et al, 2008). Γηάθνξεο κειέηεο έρνπλ δείμεη φηη ε ρξήζε ησλ κνλνθισληθψλ αληηζσκάησλ κπνξεί λα είλαη αλεπαξθήο γηα ηε ζαθή δηάθξηζε ησλ ζηειερψλ πνπ έρνπλ πξνθαιέζεη λφζν θαη ησλ αληίζηνηρσλ πεξηβαιινληηθψλ ζηειερψλ ηεο L.…”