Immunological detection of Bacteroides fragilis in clinical samples

• Published in: Journal of medical microbiology Vol. 43; no. 2; pp. 99 - 109
• Main Authors: Patrick, Sheila, Stewart, Linda D, Damani, N, Wilson, K. G, Lutton, Deborah A, Larkin, M. J, Poxton, I, Brown, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reading Soc General Microbiol 01.08.1995; Society for General Microbiology
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal - immunology; Antigens, Bacterial - analysis; Antigens, Bacterial - immunology; Bacteremia - microbiology; Bacterial diseases; Bacteroides fragilis; Bacteroides fragilis - immunology; Bacteroides fragilis - isolation & purification; Bacteroides Infections - diagnosis; Bacteroides Infections - drug therapy; Bacteroides Infections - microbiology; Biological and medical sciences; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Immune Sera - immunology; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Polysaccharides, Bacterial - immunology; Suppuration - microbiology; Human; Bacteroides fragilis; Abscess; Bacteroidaceae; Immunological method; Infection; Antigen; Antiserum; Pathological fluid; Bacteriosis; Bacteria; Detection; Polysaccharide
• ISSN: 0022-2615; 1473-5644
• DOI: 10.1099/00222615-43-2-99

Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Queen's University of Belfast, Grosvenor Road, Belfast BT12 6BN * Department of Microbiology, Craigavon Area Hospital, 68 Lurgan Road, Portadown, Co. Armagh BT63 5QQ Division of Molecular Biology, School of Biology and Biochemistry, Queen's University of Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, Lisburn Road, Belfast BT7 1NN Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG Received November 22, 1994 Accepted January 29, 1995 Surmmary: A monospecific polyclonal antiserum, prepared against Bacteroides fragilis common polysaccharide antigen purified by polyacrylamide gel immunoblot detected B. fragilis, B. thetaiotaomicron, B. ovatus and Prevotella melaninogenica in pus samples from various anatomical sites by immunofluorescence microscopy of the pus. With standard clinical laboratory culture methods, 36% of 147 samples were positive for one or more of the above bacteria. Of these, B. fragilis accounted for 33%. By immunofluorescent labelling of pus with the common antigen antiserum the detection of these bacteria in the samples increased to 50%. All nine of the blood cultures in which B. fragilis was detected by culture contained bacteria positive for the common antigen. Immunofluorescent labelling of pus samples with a selection of monoclonal antibodies specific for surface polysaccharides which are known to be antigenically variable in culture in vitro and in an animal model of infection showed that these polysaccharides are also variable in natural infection. The results indicate that the common polysaccharide antigen, in contrast to the variable surface polysaccharides, is a suitable target for the immunodetection of B. fragilis in clinical samples from a range of anatomical sites.