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STUDIES OF ANTIBODIES IN HUMAN LISTERIOSIS
Author(s) -
Winblad Sten,
Borglin N. E.
Publication year - 1963
Publication title -
acta pathologica microbiologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0365-5555
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1963.tb04835.x
Subject(s) - medicine , antibody , titer , mononucleosis , population , agglutinin , complement fixation test , immunology , normal population , gastroenterology , serology , virus , environmental health , lectin
Healthy subjects and groups of patients suffering from different diseases were examined for elevated titres of antibodies against L.m. O‐agglutinin titres above 1/64, and complement‐fixing antibodies in titres above 1/30 are regarded as significantly increased and suggestive of an infection with L.m. Such an elevated value in combination with the limit value of 1/64 in the case of O‐agglutination, or 1/30 in the case of complement‐fixation is interpreted in a similar manner. In 240 healthy blood donors, elevated titres occurred in 2.9 per cent. In 48 cases of mononucleosis infectiosa there was no single case of any elevated antibody titre against L.m. Nor could any elevated titres be demonstrated in 98 patients with pharyngitis but with a negative Paul‐Bunnell's reaction. In patients suffering from various internal di***, an elevated antibody titre against L.m. was found in 2 per cent and in a rural population, similarly examined, in 1.3 per cent. Persons dealing with poultry do not have antibody titres against L.m. higher than normal. In normal pregnancies as well as in a series of undifferentiated abortions, an elevated antibody titre was demonstrated in 1.1 per cent only. In a selected material of abortions from unknown, but probably infetious causes, or of mothers of infants that died in the perinatal period, or of mothers with diseased or deformed children, however, the amount of serologically positive cases was considerably increased (8–16 per cent), and in these last groups it must be supposed that some of the obstetrical complications were caused by L.m. Healthy pregnant women who gave birth to living, healthy babies showed the same percentage of increased antibody titres as other healthy subjects. An infection with L.m. although stimulating a development of antibodies may thus not always produce any clinical disorder in the child. Also, the infection indicated by the elevated antibody titre may belong to the past.