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3/2012 vol. 19
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CC BY-NC 3.0 Poland
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RESEARCH PAPER
Sequence based typing and pre-absorption test in retrospective analysis of a pseudo-outbreak of Legionella infections differentiates true cases of legionellosis
Katarzyna Pancer 1
,
 
Karina Jahnz-Różyk 2
,
 
Aleksandra Kucharczyk 2
,
 
Włodzimierz Gut 1
,
 
Piotr Kucharczyk 2
,
 
Pernille L Elverdal 3
,
 
Bogumiła Litwińska 1
 
 
 
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1
National Institute of Public Health-National Institute of Hygiene, Warsaw, Poland
 
2
Department of Immunology and Clinical Allergology, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
 
3
Serum Production, SSI Diagnostica, Statens Serum Institute, Hillerod, Denmark
 
 
Ann Agric Environ Med. 2012;19(3):437-443
 
Article (PDF, 198.88 kB)
References (23)
 
KEYWORDS
legionellosis
pseudo-outbreak
false positive results
Legionella serology
pre-absorption test
sequence base typing
 
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was elimination of false positive results obtained by the Chlamylege kit. Two serological kits (IgM ELISA L.pneumophila sgs1-7; ImmuViewTM L.pneumophila sg1/sg3) and pre-absorption tests (with L.pneumophila sg1 and sg3 reference strains antigens) were used. 153 sera (79 patients) were examined. The high correlations were found between the results by both tests. Positive results by ELISA (sgs1-7) were found in 19/79 patients; by ImmuViewTM (sg1+sg3) in 16/63. In 8 patients, the dynamics of the IgM in pairs of sera was high (ratio ≥2). In 5/8 of those patients seroconversion was determined. Selected pre-absorbed sera (15 pairs) were tested simultaneously by the same tests. In 8/15 pairs of sera, the reduction of IgM levels in pre-absorbed sera was higher than 10. The reduction of IgM differed in sg1 and sg3 tests. The probability of infections due to L.pneumophila sg3 (7 patients) and L.pneumophila sg1 (5 patients) was based on the results of pre-absorption tests. The correlation between ELISA and ImmuViewTM tests of pre-absorbed sera was statistically significant (Po=0.0389). Moreover, genotyping of L.pneumophila (SBT) directly in the sera of selected 15 patients (high IgM reduction) was carried out. Completed 7 alleles profile (ST36) was determined in one patient. However, a second patient had the same profile of 5 alleles, and similar reactions in pre-absorption tests. At least 4 sources of infections were suggested on the base of genotyping and pre-absorption results. Conclusions:Positive results obtained by molecular techniques (eg.PCR) in the diagnosis of Legionella infections should be supplemented by other tests for confirmation of legionellosis. The sequence based typing carried out directly in clinical specimens seems to be a promising method.
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