Serological cross-reactivity between spotted fever and typhus groups of rickettsia infection in Japan.

Int J Infect Dis

Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan; Department of Innovative Research and Education for Clinicians and Trainees (DiRECT), Fukushima Medical University Hospital, Fukushima, Japan.

Published: May 2023

Objectives: We examined the frequency of cross-reactions to Rickettsia typhi in patients with Japanese spotted fever (JSF) and evaluated the differences between two rickettsiae using antibody endpoint titers.

Methods: Patients' immunoglobulin (Ig)M and IgG titers against Rickettsia japonica and Rickettsia typhi in two phases were measured using an indirect immunoperoxidase assay at two reference centers for rickettsiosis in Japan. Cross-reaction was defined as a higher titer against R. typhi in convalescent sera than in acute sera among patients fulfilling the criteria for JSF diagnosis. The frequencies of IgM and IgG were also evaluated.

Results: Approximately 20% of cases showed positive cross-reactions. A comparison of antibody titers revealed the difficulty in identifying some positive cases.

Conclusion: Cross-reactions of 20% in serodiagnosis may lead to the misclassification of rickettsial diseases. However, with the exception of some cases, we were able to successfully differentiate JSF from murine typhus using each endpoint titer.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2023.03.012DOI Listing

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