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Detection of flagella in 278 Legionella strains by latex reagent sensitized with antiflagellum immunoglobulins.

Centre National de Référence des Légionelloses, Faculté de Médecine Alexis Carrel, Lyon, France.

ABSTRACT

To determine whether all Legionella species show common flagellum antigen properties, we developed a reagent using latex beads sensitized with flagellin-specific immunoglobulins that could be used in a simple and rapid agglutination reaction to identify Legionella colonies. A total of 278 strains (68 Legionella reference strains and 210 patient and environmental isolates) were tested. The results were compared with those obtained by a direct immunofluorescence assay using an antiflagellum serum and by morphological observations by electron microscopy. The immunological methods based on the use of a flagellum-specific serum have confirmed the presence of a common flagellum antigen for all Legionella species described to date. Flagella were detected for all the legionellae studied except four species: L. oakridgensis, confirmed as a nonflagellate species; L. brunensis; L. cincinnatiensis; and L. longbeachae serogroup 1. However, we noted a remarkable variability in flagellum expression, of greater or lesser degree, according to the species and their origin. A combination of all three methods of flagellum detection revealed that 86.3% of Legionella strains studied were flagellate. The latex test identified 89.6% of these strains, 97.5% of L. pneumophila, and 100% of L. pneumophila serogroup 1.

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• Fields, B. S., Benson, R. F., Besser, R. E. (2002). Legionella and Legionnaires' Disease: 25 Years of Investigation. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 15: 506-526 [Abstract] [Full Text]