Open AccessComparative sensitivity of four different cell lines for the isolation of C oxiella burnetii
Author(s) -
Lockhart Michelle G.,
Islam Aminul,
Fenwick Stan G.,
Graves Stephen R.,
Stenos John
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2012.02617.x
Subject(s) - coxiella burnetii , isolation (microbiology) , q fever , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , rickettsiales , virology , sensitivity (control systems) , bacteria , genetics , engineering , electronic engineering
C oxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes the disease Q ‐fever. This is usually diagnosed by serology (immunofluorescence assay) and/or PCR detection of C . burnetii DNA . However, neither of these methods can determine the viability of the bacterium. Four different cell lines were compared for their ability to amplify very low numbers of viable C . burnetii . Two different isolates of C . burnetii were used. For the H enzerling isolate, DH 82 (dog macrophage) cells were the most sensitive with an ID 50 (dose required to infect 50% of cell cultures) of 14.6 bacterial copies. For the Arandale isolate, Vero (monkey epithelial) cells were the most sensitive with an ID 50 of less than one bacterium in a 100‐μL inoculum. The Vero cell line appeared highly useful as vacuoles could be seen microscopically in unstained infected cells. The findings of this study favour the use of V ero and DH 82 tissue culture cell lines for isolation and growth of C . burnetii in vitro . The other cell lines, XTC ‐2 and L 929, were less suitable.