Human infections with verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157--10 years of E. coli O157 serodiagnosis.

J Med Microbiol

Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens, Department of Gastrointestinal, Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Centre for Infections, Health Protection Agency, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, UK.

Published: November 2008

AI Article Synopsis

  • From 1997 to 2007, the Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens in the UK tested sera from over 2,000 patients for antibodies against verocytotoxin-producing E. coli O157, finding 31.5% were positive, primarily in children under 10.
  • A significant majority (79.3%) of antibody-positive patients presented with haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), largely in its atypical form.
  • Some patients also showed antibodies to other E. coli serogroups, highlighting the importance of serodiagnosis in identifying VTEC infections alongside traditional bacteriology.

Article Abstract

From 1997 to 2007, the Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens (LEP), Health Protection Agency, UK, received sera from 2148 patients for testing for antibodies to the LPS of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) O157. A total of 676 (31.5 %) sera had antibodies binding the LPS of E. coli O157 and the majority of patients were below the age of 10 years, a trend observed for both males and females. Antibody-positive patients had haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) in 79.3 % of cases and most of these presented with the atypical (D-) form of HUS. Nine patients were shown to have antibodies to the LPS of E. coli belonging to serogroups O26 (4), O103 (2), O111 (1) and O145 (2) and one patient had antibodies to the somatic antigens of both E. coli O26 and O103. The serodiagnosis of infections with E. coli O157 and other VTEC continues to be an important adjunct to bacteriology. Where clinicians suspect the involvement of a VTEC in disease, patients' sera should be submitted to the LEP for analysis without delay.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.2008/003632-0DOI Listing

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