Abstract
The techniques of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting were used to examine a total of 1667 sera, from apparently healthy members of rural communities in England, for antibodies to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Escherichia coli O157 and Verocytotoxins (VT). Twenty-nine sera from 22 individuals were shown to have antibodies specific for E. coli O157 LPS. Some of these lived on livestock farms and had occupational contact with cattle, suggesting that personnel working with farm animals may produce serum antibodies to the O157 LPS antigens. Fifteen people had IgG class antibodies to O157 LPS, suggesting long-term exposure to E. coli O157 and five people had serum antibodies on more than one occasion showing evidence of persistent antibodies to O157 LPS. Thirteen sera from 12 of 22 individuals also contained antibodies to VT1, VT2 or both toxins. Ten sera contained antibodies to VT1 and VT2, three sera contained antibodies to VT2 only.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Karmali MA. Infection by Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli. Clin Microbiol Rev 1989; 2: 15–38.
Chart H, Scotland SM, Rowe B. Serum antibodies to Escherichia coli serotype O157: H7 in patients with hemolytic uremic syndrome. J Clin Microbiol 1989; 27: 285–290.
Chart H, Smith HR, Scotland SM, Rowe B, Milford DV, Taylor CV. Serological identification of Escherichia coli O157: H7 infection in haemolytic uraemic syndrome. Lancet 1991; 337: 138–140.
Chart H, Rowe B. A simple dot immunoassay for de-tecting antibodies to the lipopolysaccharide of Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli in patients with haemolytic uraemic syndrome. J Microbiol Meth 1997; 28: 85–88.
Thomas A, Cheasty T, Frost JA, Chart H, Smith HR, Rowe B. Verocytotoxin producing Escherichia coli, particularly serogroup O157, associated with human infections in England and Wales: 1992–1994. Epidemiol Infect 1996; 117: 1–10.
Chart H, Scotland SM, Rowe B. Bacterial antigenic cross-reactions and haemolytic uraemic syndrome. Lancet 1988; ii: 510–511.
Chart H, Okubadejo OA, Rowe B. The serological relationship between Escherichia coli O157 and Yersinia enterocolitica O9 using sera from patients with brucellosis. Epidemiol Infect 1992; 108: 77–85.
Chart H, Cheasty T, Cope D, Gross RJ, Rowe B. The serological relationship between Yersinia enterocolitica O9 and Escherichia coli O157 using sera from patients with yersiniosis and haemolytic uraemic syndrome. Epidemiol Infect 1991; 107: 349–356.
Chart H, Cheasty T, Georgiou T, Rowe B. Antigenic cross-reactions between Escherichia coli O157, Vibrio cholerae O1 Inaba and group N Salmonella. Serodiagn Immunother Infect Dis 1993; 5: 81–84.
Chart H, Willshaw GA, Cheasty T, Rowe B. Structure and antigenic properties of Citrobacter freundii lipo-polysaccharides. J Appl Bacteriol 1993; 74: 583–587.
Karmali MA, Steele BT, Petric M, Lim C. Sporadic cases of haemolytic uraemic syndrome associated with faecal cytotoxin and cytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli in stools. Lancet 1983; I: 619–620.
Barrett TJ, Green JH, Griffin PM, Pavia AT, Ostroff SM, Wachmuth IK. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for detecting antibodies to Shiga-like toxin-I, Shiga-like toxin-II, and Escherichia coli O157: H7 lipopolysaccharide in human serum. Curr Microbiol 1991;23: 189–195.
Greatorex JS, Thorne GM. Humoral immune response to shiga-like toxins and Escherichia coli O157 lipopoly-saccharide in Hemolytic-uremic syndrome patients and healthy subjects. J Clin Microbiol 1994; 32: 1172–1178.
Karmali MA, Petric M, Winkler M, et al. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of immunoglobulin G antibodies to Escherichia coli Verocytotoxin1. J Clin Microbiol 1994; 32: 1457–1463.
Chart H, Law D, Acheson DWK, Rowe B. Patients with haemolytic uraemic syndrome caused by Escheri-chia coli O157 do not produce serum antibodies to Vero cytotoxin 1 (VT1) or VT2. J Clin Pathol 1993; 46: 1053–1054.
Chapman PA, Wright DJ, Norman P. Verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli in Sheffield: Cattle as a possible source. Epidemiol Infect 1989; 102: 439–445.
Chapman PA, Siddons CA, Wright DJ, Norman P, Fox J, Crick E. Cattle as a source of Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli O157. Vet Rec 1992; 131: 323–324.
Chapman PA, Siddons CA, Wright DJ, Norman P, Fox J, Crick E. Cattle as a possible source of Verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 infections in man. Epidemiol Infect 1993; 111: 439–447.
Wilson JB, Clarke RC, Renwick SA, et al. Verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli infection in dairy farm families. J Inf Disease 1996; 174: 1021–1027.
Reymond D, Johnson RP, Karmali MA, et al. Neutralizing antibodies to Escherichia coli Vero cytotoxin 1 and antibodies to O157 lipopolysaccharide in healthy farm family members and urban residents. J Clin Mi-crobiol 1996; 34: 2053–2057.
Thomas DRh, Salmon RL, Kench SM, et al. Zoonotic illness-determining risks and measuring effects: Association between current animal exposure and history of illness in a well characterised rural population in the UK. J Epidemiol Commun Health 1994; 48: 151–155.
Chalmers RM, Thomas DRh, Sillis M, et al. Coxiella burnetii in farm workers and their families. In: Thrus-field MV, Goodall EA (eds), Proceedings Society of Veterinary Epidemiol Preventive Medicine, Ennis, 25–27 March 1998, pp. 128–138.
Chart H, Evans J, Chalmers RM, Salmon RL. Escherichia coli O157 serology: False-positive ELISA results caused by human antibodies binding to bovine serum albumin. Lett Appl Microbiol 1998; 27: 76–78
Laemmli UK. Cleavage of structural proteins during assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature 1970; 227: 680–685.
Towbin H, Staehelin T, Stark GR. Transfer of proteins from gels to diazobenzyl paper and detection with an-tisera: A method for studying antibody specificity and antigen structure. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 1979; 76: 4350–4354.
Chart H, Montgomery S, Rowe B. A rapid immunoblotting procedure for detecting serum antibodies to the lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia coli O157: H7. Lett Appl Microbiol 1994; 18: 100–101.
Chart H, Rowe B. Improved detection of infection with Escherichia coli O157 in patients with haemolytic uraemic syndrome by means of IgA antibodies to lipopolysaccharide. J Infect 1992; 24: 257–261.
Chart H, Rowe B. Failure of patients with haemolytic uraemic syndrome to produce immunoglobulin class G antibodies to Escherichia coli O157 lipopolysaccharide. Serodiagn Immunother Infect Diseases 1993; 5: 217–219.
Bitzen M, Ludwig K, Klemt M, König H, Büren J, Müller-Wiefel DE. The role of Escherichia coli O157 infections in classical (enteropathic) haemolytic uraemic syndrome: Results of a central European, multicentre study. Epidemiol Infect 1993; 110: 183–196.
Rowe P, Orrbine E, Lior H, Wells GA, McLaine PN. A prospective study of exposure to verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli among Canadian children with haemolytic uraemic syndrome. Epidemiol Infect 1993; 110: 1–7.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Evans, J., Chalmers, R., Chart, H. et al. Evidence of persisting serum antibodies to Escherichia coli O157 lipopolysaccharide and Verocytotoxin in members of rural communities in England. Eur J Epidemiol 16, 885–889 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011072907877
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011072907877