Specific Antibody Profile in Human Brucellosis

Abstract

The results of classic serological tests were compared with those of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in studies of immunoglobulins to Brucella in 761 serum samples from 75 patients with brucellosis. Except for five instances involving the IgM ELISA, all serological tests gave positive results at admission. Among the 63 patients without relapse, rates of persistent ELISA positivity (determined by the Kaplan-Meier method) 12 months after therapy were 25% for IgM, 69% for IgA, and 89% for IgG. Among the 12 patients with relapse, a second peak of ELISA IgG and IgA was often detected. The persistence of high serum antibody titers in patients without relapse was due mainly to IgG and was often associated with high titers at admission or with the presence of focal disease. Overall, serological changes were better detected by ELISA than by classic serological tests. While a second peak of ELISA IgG and IgA is a good marker of relapse, the persistence of high titers of IgG by itself is not a good predictor of chronic infection.

ELISA versus Conventional Methods of Diagnosing Endemic Brucellosis

“…This fact underscores the importance of ELISA in the diagnosis of brucellosis in endemic countries. Our data support the results of several previous studies, 11,12,14,15 because those reports also showed the occurrence of a falsely low or equivocal SAT titer in patients with brucellosis and consequently, the diagnosis was made with the detection of antibodies by ELISA. Gad and Kambal 11 reported false-negative agglutination results in 10% of culture-positive cases that were all found interestingly positive by ELISA.…”

Recent advances in brucellosis

“…seem the most useful indicators of active infection [26,27]. Western blotting against selected cytoplasmic proteins may allow differentiation of active from past or subclinical infection [28].…”

Seguimiento clínico, serológico y mediante la reacción de polimerasa en cadena de una familia con brucelosis

“…Los títulos de anticuerpos usualmente disminuyen después de iniciar un tratamiento específico contra Brucella; por ello, el seguimiento serológico del paciente se recomienda con el fin de observar la respuesta hacia el tratamiento. Sin embargo, se ha reportado que la presencia de títulos elevados de anticuerpos anti-Brucella podría persistir por meses o aún por años en los pacientes después de un tratamiento efectivo, en ausencia de sintomatología y con cultivo negativo en sangre, es decir clínicamente sanos 23 . El seguimiento serológico de los integrantes de la familia se basó en tres pruebas serológicas, establecidas por la NOM-022-SSA2-2012 y aceptadas internacionalmente 12,13 .…”