Characterization of serological responses to pertussis

M Watanabe, B Connelly, AA Weiss - Clinical and Vaccine …, 2006 - Am Soc Microbiol
M Watanabe, B Connelly, AA Weiss
Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, 2006Am Soc Microbiol
We have compared the use of five nonvaccine antigens to the use of conventional vaccine
antigens, pertussis toxin (PT), and filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) for the serological
diagnosis of pertussis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The nonvaccine
antigens included the catalytic region of adenylate cyclase toxin (CatACT), the C-terminal
region of FHA (C-FHA), lipooligosaccharide (LOS), the peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein
(PAL), and the BrkA protein. The serological responses of individuals with culture-confirmed …
Abstract
We have compared the use of five nonvaccine antigens to the use of conventional vaccine antigens, pertussis toxin (PT), and filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) for the serological diagnosis of pertussis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The nonvaccine antigens included the catalytic region of adenylate cyclase toxin (CatACT), the C-terminal region of FHA (C-FHA), lipooligosaccharide (LOS), the peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein (PAL), and the BrkA protein. The serological responses of individuals with culture-confirmed pertussis were compared to those of adults with no recent history of a coughing disease. An immunoglobulin G (IgG) ELISA for PT was the most sensitive (92.2%) test for the serodiagnosis of pertussis. Of the nonvaccine antigens, ELISA for IgG responses to CatACT (sensitivity, 62.8%), C-FHA (sensitivity, 39.2%), and LOS IgA (sensitivity, 29.4%) were less sensitive but could also distinguish culture-positive individuals from control individuals. The use of a combination of multiple ELISA targets improved the sensitivity of the assay for serological diagnosis. Elevated IgG and IgA antibody titers persisted for more than a year in the individuals with culture-confirmed pertussis.
American Society for Microbiology