[Occurrence of antibodies to chlamydial group antigens in the population of the Czech Republic].

A set of 4,178 human blood sera was tested including 3,093 samples collected from blood donors, 624 randomly collected samples. 124 samples collected from persons possibly exposed to Chlamydia infection, and 337 samples from patients of various hospitals in the districts of Brno, Olomouc and Rumburk. All the sera were examined using the complement fixation microtest and the antigen of Chlamydia psittaci for CFR (Bioveta, Ivanovice na Hané, CzR). Moreover, a subset of samples collected from selected groups (n = 209) was tested by CFR using the genus-specific Ornithose-Antigen (Behring, Germany) (n = 209), another subset of 116 samples by indirect immunofluorescence using the biological Chlamydia trachomatis Spot IF (Bio Merieux) (n = 116), and a subset of 224 samples by ELISA for the demonstration of IgG, IgM and IgA class of antibodies using the kit rELISA Medac. Complement fixing antibodies assayed with the Chlamydia psittaci antigen (Bioveta), reached titres of 1.5, 1:10 and 1:20 in 15.5%, 5.29% and 0.48% of the randomly collected samples, respectively. The corresponding values for the tests carried out with the Ornithose-Antigen were 1:10 in 10.9%, 1:20 in 8.9%, 1:40 in 2.9% and 1:80 in 1.4%. ELISA yielded 52.7%, 26.85% and 17.59% positive results in the globulin classes IgG, IgA and IgM, respectively. Antibody titres from 1:20 and from 1:10, determined with the Bioveta antigen, were found in 2.36% and 9.47% within a representative group of blood donors. The corresponding values for the group of the hospitalized patients were 14.54% and 24.93%, respectively, and for the group of persons possibly exposed to Chlamydia infection 2.42% and 8.87% respectively. The indirect immunofluorescence test yielded positive, negative ad doubtful results in 47.41%, 27.59% and 25.0% persons of the latter group. This group showed also a higher percentage (37.07%) of positive results in ELISA in the class IgA than the randomly selected persons.