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Antibody levels in mothers colonised with group B streptococci during pregnancy and in their newborn infants, as measured by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay

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Abstract

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to measure serum antibodies to group B streptococci in 20 healthy pregnant women before delivery and in their newborn infants. The sera from 10 of these women who were colonised with group B streptococci and umbilical cord sera from their infants, had higher levels of type-specific lgG antibody than the 10 non-colonised controls and their neonates. All the babies remained well. The results demonstrate that infants from colonised mothers receive type-specific antibody. The possibility that this antibody may provide some degree of protection at birth against this potentially lethal organism warrants investigation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Divisions of Comparative Medicine and Perinatal Medicine, Clinical Research Centre, Watford Road, HA1 3UJ, Harrow, Middlesex, UK

    P. H. Cleat, Jean Ross & J. R. Needham

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  1. P. H. Cleat
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  2. Jean Ross
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  3. J. R. Needham
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Cleat, P.H., Ross, J. & Needham, J.R. Antibody levels in mothers colonised with group B streptococci during pregnancy and in their newborn infants, as measured by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Med Microbiol Immunol 168, 49–53 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02121651

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02121651

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