Leptospirosis severity may be associated with the intensity of humoral immune response.

Abstract

Leptospirosis severity may be increasing, with pulmonary involvement becoming more frequent. Does this increase result from an intense immune response to leptospire? Notice that renal failure, thrombocytopenia and pulmonary complications are found during the immune phase. Thirty-five hospitalized patients with Weil's disease had 5 blood samples drawn, from the 15th day to the 12th month of symptoms, for ELISA-IgM, -IgG and -IgA specific antibody detection. According their 1st IgG titer, the patients were divided into: group 1 (n = 13) titer > 1:400 (positive) and group 2 (n = 22) titer < or =1:400 (negative). Early IgG antibodies in group 1 showed high avidity which may indicate reinfection. Group 1 was older, had worse pulmonary and renal function, and fever for a longer period than group 2. Throughout the study, IgG and IgA titers remained higher in group 1. In conclusion, the severity of Weil's disease may be associated with the intensity of the humoral immune response to leptospire.

• Authors: Regina C R M Abdulkader, Elizabeth F Daher, Eide D Camargo, Cláudia Spinosa, Marcos Vinícius da Silva
• Journal: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo (Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo) 2002 Mar-Apr Vol. 44 Issue 2 Pg. 79-83 ISSN: 0036-4665 [Print] Brazil
• PMID: 12048544 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Bacterial
• Immunoglobulin A
• Immunoglobulin G
• Immunoglobulin M

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Age Factors
• Antibodies, Bacterial (blood, immunology)
• Antibody Affinity (immunology)
• Chi-Square Distribution
• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
• Female
• Humans
• Immunoglobulin A (blood, immunology)
• Immunoglobulin G (blood, immunology)
• Immunoglobulin M (blood, immunology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Prospective Studies
• Severity of Illness Index
• Statistics, Nonparametric
• Weil Disease (immunology)