This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Guigno, D Articles by Caul, E O Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Guigno, D Articles by Caul, E O

Primary humoral antibody response to Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever.

Regional Virus Laboratory, Bristol, England.

ABSTRACT

Of 147 patients with acute Q fever diagnosed during a major outbreak in Birmingham, England, in early summer 1989, 41 provided sets of sera which allowed us to make a detailed analysis of the primary humoral immune response. Antibody titers specific for Coxiella burnetii were measured by the complement fixation test and by an immunoglobulin M (IgM)- and IgG-specific indirect immunofluorescence test. The relative avidity of specific IgGs was determined by the indirect immunofluorescence test with and without treatment of antigen-antibody complexes with 8 M urea. The IgG subclass responses after primary infection and their avidities were also determined for a limited number of paired serum specimens. Specific IgM titers persisted for more than 6 months in the majority of cases and were therefore not a sufficient criterion for the diagnosis of recent infection. However, for serial samples the antibody titer ratios (IgG/IgM) and the ratios (IgG titer with treatment/IgG titer without treatment) that indicated relative avidity changed significantly, depending on the time postinfection. Within the IgG class, the C. burnetii-specific antibody response over time was almost exclusively represented by subclass 1 molecules, which thus showed affinity maturation.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• CONE, L. A., CURRY, N., SHAVER, P., BROOKS, D., DEFORGE, J., POTTS, B. E. (2006). Q Fever in the southern california desert: epidemiology, clinical presentation and treatment.. Am J Trop Med Hyg 75: 29-32 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• AYRES, J.G., WILDMAN, M., GROVES, J., MENT, J., SMITH, E.G., BEATTIE, J. M. (2002). Long-term follow-up of patients from the 1989 Q fever outbreak: no evidence of excess cardiac disease in those with fatigue. QJM 95: 539-546 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Maurin, M., Raoult, D. (1999). Q Fever. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 12: 518-553 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Capo, C., Iorgulescu, I., Mutillod, M., Mege, J.-L., Raoult, D. (1998). Increases in the Levels of Coxiella burnetii-Specific Immunoglobulin G1 and G3 Antibodies in Acute Q Fever and Chronic Q Fever. CVI 5: 814-816 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Fournier, P.-E., Marrie, T. J., Raoult, D. (1998). Diagnosis of Q Fever. J. Clin. Microbiol. 36: 1823-1834 [Full Text]  
• Zhang, G., Nguyen, S., To, H, Ogawa, M, Hotta, A, Yamaguchi, T, Kim, H., Fukushi, H, Hirai, K (1998). Clinical evaluation of a new PCR assay for detection of Coxiella burnetii in human serum samples [In Process Citation]. J. Clin. Microbiol. 36: 77-80 [Abstract] [Full Text]