Estimation of Igg and Igm Brucella Antibodies in Infected and Non-Infected Persons by a Radioimmune Technique
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J Clin Pathol: first published as 10.1136/jcp.37.6.692 on 1 June 1984. Downloaded from J Clin Pathol 1984;37:692-696 Estimation of IgG and IgM brucella antibodies in infected and non-infected persons by a radioimmune technique WG HEWITT, DJH PAYNE* From the Public Health Laboratory, St Mary's Hospital, Portsmouth P03 6A Q SUMMARY Sera from 105 blood donors and eight patients with brucellosis were examined for anti-brucella IgG and IgM by a radioimmune technique. A pooled standard was used for com- parison and evaluation. The upper limit of the 99% confidence interval on the mean of both immunoglobulin classes in blood donor sera was below 7 units/ml. Antibody response was shown in three acute, two relapsing, two chronic, and one asymptomatic cases. Values of up to 300 units/ml of both classes were found in the acute cases. Chronic sufferers showed lower concentra- tions of antibody. Relapsing cases showed increases comprising mainly IgG. The assay method, which shows general concordance with the results of conventional tests, is useful and measures individual immunoglobulin classes directly. copyright. Most human cases of brucellosis are diagnosed by cally suffering from the disease. Mercaptoethanol recognising the symptoms and by demonstrating the may be used to differentiate between IgG and IgM antibodies in the serum. The organism may be iso- activity89 but is difficult to control and the results are lated from the blood, but bacteraemia is intermit- not readily reproducible between laboratories. The tent.' Reliance is therefore placed on immunological course of the disease may therefore not be reflected procedures, which must be both accurate and infor- fully in the results of conventional tests. http://jcp.bmj.com/ mative. Titres obtained in complement fixation and serum Conventionally, antibodies have been studied agglutination tests derive from the in vitro activity of using the serum agglutination test, the complement the total antibody population of the serum. Proce- fixation test, and the indirect antihuman globulin dures have been devised recently which have the assisted agglutination test. From these results the advantage of demonstrating the immunoglobulin presence and relative proportions of anti-brucella classes individually. They include enzyme linked immunoglobulins (IgG and IgM) are inferred and immunosorbent assay'0 and immunofluorescence on September 25, 2021 by guest. Protected thus the stage of the disease and its activity in the tests." For some time this laboratory has been patient are estimated.24 examining sera. by means of immunoradiometric Previous workers have shown that the titres assay, and we report here the results obtained with obtained in conventional serological tests are not sera from blood donors and from patients with absolutely related to the presence and relative pro- brucella infection. portions of IgG and IgM. Agglutination may be caused by both IgM and IgG, and complement Material and methods fixation test activity may be high throughout the dis- ease. Acute cases may present with high, low, or SERA undetectable concentrations of antibody.67 High Blood donor sera were obtained from the National titres may be produced in persons, such as vet- Blood Transfusion Service Laboratory at Southamp- erinarians, exposed to the organism but not clini- ton. Standards for comparison were prepared from pools of specimens showing high serum agglutina- *Dr DJH Payne died in April 1982. tion and complement fixation test results. Other sera were those examined by this brucella reference Accepted for publication 5 March 1984 laboratory. All were stored at - 20°C before testing. 692 J Clin Pathol: first published as 10.1136/jcp.37.6.692 on 1 June 1984. Downloaded from Radioimmune estimation of brucella antibodies 693 PREPARATION OF ANTIGEN performed according to the methods of Kerr et al.'5 EEC Standard Brucella abortus antigen (Central Veterinary Laboratory, Weybridge) was centrifuged Results at 2400 g for 30 min and the deposited cells taken up in 0*85% (0.124 mol/1) saline containing 0-4% Histograms of the distributions of the specific IgM (0.043 mol/l) phenol. The packed cell concentration and IgG concentrations of 105 samples of blood was adjusted to 5 % as measured by microhaemato- donor serum are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. If a Poisson crit. distribution can be assumed, the following statistics are obtained. For IgM: mean = 3 11 U/ml, standard PREPARATION OF RADIOACTIVE LABELLED deviation (SD) = 1-42 U/ml. For IgG: mean = 2-47 ANTIHUMAN GLOBULIN and SD = 1-92 U/ml. Ninety nine percent of such Goat antihuman IgM and goat antihuman IgG sera blood donors can therefore be expected to have (Technicon) were labelled with '25Iodine (Amer- concentrations of less than 7 U/ml of both immuno- sham International PLC) by the chloramine T pro- globulin classes. cess.'2 Unbound iodine was removed by gel filtration Forty nine specimens from eight patients sus- using Sephadex G25 coarse grade (Pharmacia Fine pected of suffering from brucellosis were examined Chemicals Ltd). After a series of titrations we found (Table). In many cases the antihuman globulin that 30 ml of labelled antihuman globulin at a assisted agglutination test was also performed. strength suitable for the test could be prepared from the original 2 ml of goat serum. Phosphate buffered saline at pH 7-3 (PBS, Oxoid) was used as diluent 18 and eluent. 16 14 IMMUNORADIOMETRIC ASSAY The method used was similar to that of Parratt et al 3 and Brown and Lee.'4 Fifty microlitres of serum or serum diluted in PBS was added to 200 ul of anti- copyright. gen. After overnight incubation at 37°C unbound proteins were removed by repeated washing in PBS containing 2-5 g/l of bovine albumin (Fraction V, Sigma) using centrifugation at 2000 g at 8°C for 20 min. The spun deposit was then resuspended in 0-2 2 ml of the diluent, 100 ,ul of radiolabelled antihuman globulin (anti-IgG or anti-IgM) was added, and the 0 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 http://jcp.bmj.com/ mixture was incubated at 37°C for 90 min. Unbound IRMA IgM concentration (U/ml) constituents were removed as previously. The Fig. 1 Distribution ofanti-Brucella IgM in 105 blood radioactivity present in the washed deposit was donors. IRMA = immunoradiometric assay. measured using a gamma counter (Wilj model 2001). 18- CALCULATION OF RESULTS 16- on September 25, 2021 by guest. Protected The amount of IgM and IgG as shown by the test was assigned a numerical value by comparison with 14- a serum standard, to which had been assigned an 12 - arbitrary content. This had been adopted after con- c 10- sultation with other workers in the field. Duplicate a.; a 8- tests were performed for both immunoglobulin clas- LA- ses in test sera. A standard graph was prepared from 6- examination of dilutions of the standard serum, each 4- being done in triplicate or quadruplicate. Results and statistical analyses were calculated using a mic- 2- _H_ _n_ rocomputer (CBM). i nm - 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 CONVENTIONAL TESTS IRMA IgG concentration (U/ml) Serum agglutination, complement fixation, and Fig. 2 Distribution ofanti-Brucella IgG in 105 blood antihuman globulin assisted agglutination tests were donors. IRMA = immunoradiometric assay. J Clin Pathol: first published as 10.1136/jcp.37.6.692 on 1 June 1984. Downloaded from 694 Hewitt, Payne Results oftests on sera from eight cases ofbrucellosis Case no Months after onset of SA T CFT IRMA symptoms B ab B mel B ab B mel IgG IgM 1 1 1280 640 >256 128 285 150 4 Is .~~~~~~~~-Is ISx i's 166. 17 5 640 160 256 32 142 13 2 5120 5120 >256 >256 37 321 13 2560 2560 256 128 70 280 1-8 2560 1280 128 32 92 173 3 640 640 32 8 52 50 320 640 256 128 21 132 4 <20 <20 64 64 107 42 2 5120 5120 >256 >256 313 >200 3 1280 1280 >256 >256 223 241 7 640 640 >256 >256 322 73 7-4 640 320 64 >256 241 56 8 640 320 >256 >256 IS IS 10 160 160 AC AC 78 18 -8 <20 <20 <4 <4 IS IS 1 1280 1280 128 128 51 85 1-6 320 320 >256 256 94 46 4 40 <20 8 8 7 4 13 <20 <20 <4 <4 3 2 25 <20 <20 8 4 4 1 28 640 160 >256 >256 104 7 6 (10 years) 80 80 AC AC 28 14 +2 40 40 8 8 18 10 6 40 40 8 8 18 10 11 <20 <20 16 16 IS IS copyright. 17 80 <20 8 16 IS IS 40 <20 <20 16 16 28 13 47 40 40 AC AC 23 10 54 80 40 8 8 19 8 56 80 80 8 8 18 5 60 80 80 16 8 13 4 68 40 80 16 8 11 4 7 (2 years) <20 <20 AC AC IS IS http://jcp.bmj.com/ +1 <20 <20 AC AC 18 10 2 40 <20 4 <4 17 11 4 <20 <20 128 16 59 20 7 160 160 128 64 IS IS 9 160 160 128 64 IS IS 10 80 80 32 32 IS IS 13 80 160 64 32 IS IS 25 80 40 16 8 32 10 8 (No symptoms) <20 <20 <4 <4 IS IS on September 25, 2021 by guest. Protected 14 <20 <20 <4 <4 5 2 27 <20 <20 <4 <4 3 2 36 320 160 256 128 330 32 38 640 320 256 128 159 25 40 160 80 256 64 99 14 49 <20 <20 32 16 27 5 B ab and B mel = B abortus and B melitensis antigen, respectively, used in the test.