HGE antibodies in sera of patients with TBE in the Czech Republic

Int J Med Microbiol. 2002 Jun:291 Suppl 33:190-3. doi: 10.1016/s1438-4221(02)80042-x.

Abstract

Altogether 112 sera from 67 patients hospitalised for tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) were tested for the presence of antibodies against human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE). Indirect immunofluorescence assay and western blotting were used for the screening and confirmation respectively. A laboratory culture of HGE agent in HL-60 cells served as an antigen supply. Commercially available human sera were used as positive controls; the respective IgG and IgM cut-offs of 1/80 and 1/40 were applied. Six patients (8.9%) exhibited specific IgG antibodies against HGE at or above the cut-off level, while no serum sample was shown to be IgM-reactive at the cut-off. The mean age of the subset of positive patients was 42 (+/- 16.7) years which exceeded that of the total TBE set averaging 37.5 (+/- 17.3) years. One patient, a woman aged 32, exhibited an elevated HGE titre of 1/80 on admission 15 days after TBE onset, that still slightly increased up to 1/160 by the end of the following week. Corresponding WB-pattern showed significant MSP, p30, and p28 bands. These findings suggest a case of concurrent TBE with HGE. Overall, this study demonstrates that TBE/HGE co-infections could be encountered in central Europe.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood*
  • Blotting, Western / methods
  • Czech Republic / epidemiology
  • Ehrlichia / immunology*
  • Ehrlichiosis / complications
  • Ehrlichiosis / diagnosis
  • Ehrlichiosis / epidemiology*
  • Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / complications
  • Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / diagnosis
  • Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / epidemiology*
  • Female
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / methods
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Immunoglobulin M / blood
  • Male
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M