Serum antibody to Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin measured by a passive hemagglutination assay

J Clin Microbiol. 1977 Jul;6(1):58-61. doi: 10.1128/jcm.6.1.58-61.1977.

Abstract

A passive hemagglutination (PHA) assay for antibody to Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin is described which utilizes chromic chloride-treated ovine erythrocytes coated with purified toxin. PHA antitoxin titers correlated well with those obtained by a cytotoxicity neutralization assay (r = 0.91, P less than 0.001), whereas the PHA assay was four to eight times as sensitive. The mean serum PHA titer of 16 patients convalescing from recent pseudomonas infections (log2 = 9.4 +/- 3.9) was significantly higher (P less than 0.001) than that of 17 healthy controls (2,7 +/- 2.6), and fourfold or greater rises were demonstrated in 5 of 7 patients examined sequentially. The lower levels of PHA antibody in sera from 11 of 17 controls suggested the acquisition of antitoxin secondary to asymptomatic infection.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / analysis*
  • Antitoxins / analysis*
  • Chromium
  • Erythrocytes
  • Hemagglutination Tests / methods*
  • Humans
  • Pseudomonas Infections / immunology*
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / immunology*
  • Sheep / blood

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Antitoxins
  • Chromium