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Detection of opsonic antibodies against Enterococcus faecalis cell wall carbohydrates in immune globulin preparations

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Abstract

Three different commercially available polyvalent immune globulins (IG) were investigated for the existence of antibodies against cell wall carbohydrates of four different E. faecalis serotypes (using a cell wall carbohydrate-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), and whether these antibodies mediated opsonic killing (using an opsonic-killing assay). All three IG preparations contained antibodies against all four serotypes (CPS-A to CPS-D). However, only one of the three IG preparations showed opsonic killing against all four serotypes. Average killing was higher against serotypes A and B (72 and 79 %, respectively) than against serotypes C and D (30 and 37 %, respectively). Such IG preparations could play a role as an adjuvant therapeutic option in life-threatening infections with E. faecalis, particularly when resistant strains are involved.

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Conflict of interest

M.H. was supported by a grant from Bayer Vital, Germany. The other authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

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Author notes

  1. F. Hammer

    Present address: Cnopf Children’s Hospital, Nuremberg, Germany

  2. I. G. Sava

    Present address: ZIEL, Research Center for Nutrition and Food Science, CDD Center for Diet and Disease, Technical University Munich, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany

  3. C. Theilacker

    Present address: Arud Center for Addiction Medicine, Zurich, Switzerland

  4. R. Berner

    Present address: University Children’s Hospital, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany

  5. J. Huebner

    Present address: Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Rheumatology, Center for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Mathildenstr. 1, 79106, Freiburg, Germany

    M. Hufnagel, K. Sixel & R. Berner

  2. Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

    F. Hammer, A. Kropec, I. G. Sava, C. Theilacker & J. Huebner

Authors
  1. M. Hufnagel
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  2. K. Sixel
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  3. F. Hammer
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  4. A. Kropec
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  5. I. G. Sava
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  6. C. Theilacker
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  7. R. Berner
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  8. J. Huebner
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Correspondence to M. Hufnagel.

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Hufnagel, M., Sixel, K., Hammer, F. et al. Detection of opsonic antibodies against Enterococcus faecalis cell wall carbohydrates in immune globulin preparations. Infection 42, 749–755 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-014-0628-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-014-0628-y

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