Abstract
An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was assessed to detect in humans IgM and IgG against the main serogroups/serovars of Leptospira present in Italy. Sonicated antigens from strain Wijnberg, serogroups Icterohaemorrhagiae and Riccio 2, serogroup Australis, were used in ELISA and the results were compared to microagglutination test (MAT). IgM were confirmed to be the predominant class of antibodies; the total sensitivity obtained by Wijnberg/ELISA with the sera of patients infected by different serogroups was 81.5% in relation to MAT, better sensitivity was achieved by the use of Riccio 2/ELISA; no reaction occurred with the control sera. Cross-reactivity was noted with some sera of patients with Lyme disease (IgM) and with few sera of patients with autoimmune disease (IgM and IgG).
To improve the sensitivity of the ELISA both antigens Wijnberg and Riccio 2 must be employed in the immunoenzimatic assay, since serogroup Australis must be considered as a new emerging serogroup causing human leptospirosis in our country.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adler B. andFaine S. (1978): The antibodies involved in the human immune response to leptospiral infection - J. Med. Microbiol.11: 387–400.
Adler B.,Murphy A.M.,Locarnini S.A. andFaine S. (1980): Detection of specific anti-leptospiral immunoglobulins M and G in human serum by solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay - J. Clin. Microbiol.11: 452–457.
Alexander A.D. (1974): Leptospira. In: Manual of Clinical Microbiology, II ed., Lennette E.H., Spaulding E.H. and Traunt G.B. - American Society for Microbiology, Washington D.C. 347–354.
Arimitsu Y.,Kobayashi S.,Akama K. andMatuhasi T. (1982): Development of a simple serological method for diagnosis of leptospirosis: a microcapsule agglutination test - J. Clin. Microbiol.15: 835–841.
Ballard S.,Faine S. andAdler B. (1990): Purification and characterization of a protein antigen fromL. interrogans serovar hardjo common to a wide range of bacteria - J. Gen. Microbiol.136: 1849–1857.
Banfi E.,Castagnari L. andCinco M. (1989):Serosurvey of Leptospira agglutinins among railway employeed in the National Railway Compartments of Bologna and Venice - Eur. J. Epidemiol.5: 468–473.
Cacciapuoti B.,Ciceroni L.,Maffei C.,Stanislao F.,Strusi P.,Calegari L.,Lupidi R.,Scalise G.,Cagnoni G. andRenga G. (1987): A waterborne outbreak of leptospirosis - Amer. J. Epidemiol.128: 535–545.
Chernukha Yu. G.,Shiskina Z.S.,Baryshev P.M. andKokovin I.L. (1976): The dynamics of IgM and IgG-antibodies in leptospiral infection in man - Zbl. Bakt. Hyg. I Abt. Orig. A236: 336–343.
Ciceroni L.,Pinto A. andCaccapuoti B. (1988): Recent trends in human leptospirosis in Italy - Eur. J. Epidemiol.4: 49–54.
Cinco M. (1989): La leptospirosi: Generality e diagnostica - Clin. Microbiology Corner5: 7–11.
Cinco M.,Banfi E.,Stornello C.,Campo F. andKorver H. (1989): First human isolate ofLeptospira interrogans as serovar bratislava in Italy - FEMS Microbiol. Immunol.47: 499–504.
Cursons R.T.M. andPyke P.A. (1981): Diffusion in gel-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay — a new serological test for leptospirosis - J. Clin. Pathol.34: 840–842.
Feigin R.D. andAnderson D.C. (1975): Human leptospirosis - CRC Crit. Rev. Clin. Lab. Sci.5: 413–467.
Galton M.M.,Menger R. W.,Shotts E.B.,Nahmias A.J. andHeath C. W. (1962): Leptospirosis: Epidemiology clinical manifestations in man and animals and methods in laboratory diagnosis - U.S. Public Health Serv. Publ.51: 1–70.
Hansen K.,Bangborg J.M.,Fordvang H.,Strandberg Pedersen N. andHindersson P. (1988): Immunochemical characterization and isolation of the gene forBorrelia burgdorferi immunodominant 60 Kd Antigen common to a wide range of bacteria -Infect. Immun.56: 2047–2053.
Hartmann L.,Filitti-Wurmser S.,Jacquot Armand Y.,Mailloux M.,Hurez D. andFauvert R. (1964): Macromolecular nature of an antibody of leptospirosis australis - Biochim. Biophys. Acta82: 249–259.
Laemmli V.K. (1970): Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4 -Nature227: 680–685.
Lowry O.H.,Rosenbrough N.J.,Favor A.L. andRandall R.J. (1951): Protein measureament with the folin phenol reagent - Biol. Chem.193: 265–275.
Nityananda K. andHarvey T. (1971): Leptospirosis in Ceylon. Epidemiological and laboratory studies -Ceylon J. Med. Sci.20: 5–14.
Pike R.M.,McBrayer H.L.,Schulze M.L. andChandler C.H. (1965): Chromatographic analysis and sulfhydryl sensitivity of antileptospira agglutinins in rabbit and human sera - Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med.120: 786–789.
Raoult D.,Hechemy K.E. andBaranton G. (1989): Cross-reaction withBorrelia burgdorferi antigen of sera from patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection, syphilis and leptospirosis - J. Clin. Microbiol.27: 2152–2155.
Raoult D.,Bres P. andBaranton G. (1989): Serological diagnosis of leptospirosis: comparison of line blot and immunofluorescence techniques with the Genus specific microscopic agglutination test - J. Infect. Dis.160 (4): 734–735.
Terpstra W.J.,Ligthart G.S. andSchoone G.J. (1980): Serodiagnosis of human leptospirosis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) - Zbl. Bakt. Hyg. Abt. Orig. A247: 400–405.
Terpstra W.J.,Ligthart G.S. andSchoone G.J. (1985): Elisa for the detection of specific IgM and IgG in human leptospirosis - J. Gen. Microbiol.131: 377–385.
Tong M.J.,Rosenberg E.B.,Votteri B.A. andChe C.T. (1971): Immunological response in leptospirosis. Report of three cases - Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg.20: 625–630.
Towbin H.,Staehalin T. andGordon J. (1979): Electrophoretic transfer of proteins from polyacrylamide gels to nitrocellulose sheets: procedure and some applications - Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.76: 4350–4354.
Turner L.H. (1968): Leptospirosis II - Trans. Royal Soc. Trop. Med, Hyg.62: 880–899.
Watt G.,Alquiza L.M.,Padre L.P.,Tuazon M.L. andLaughlin L. W. (1988): The rapid diagnosis of leptospirosis: a prospective comparison of the dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the genus specific microscopic agglutination test at different stages of illness - J. Infect. Dis.57: 840–842.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Corresponding author.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cinco, M., Balanzin, D. & Banfi, E. Evaluation of an immunoenzimatic test (ELISA) for the diagnosis of leptospirosis in Italy. Eur J Epidemiol 8, 677–682 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00145383
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00145383