Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, November 1998, p. 814-816, Vol. 5, No. 6
1071-412X/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Unité des Rickettsies, Université de la Méditerranée, CNRS UPRESA 6020, Faculté de Médecine, 13385 Marseille Cedex 05, France
Received 8 June 1998/Accepted 30 July 1998
A detailed analysis of the humoral response to Coxiella burnetii may provide insight into the pathogenesis of Q fever, a zoonosis caused by C. burnetii. The subclasses of C. burnetii-specific antibodies were determined by immunofluorescence in 20 patients with acute Q fever and 20 patients with chronic Q fever. Although immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) and IgG3 antibodies were found in acute and chronic Q fever, neither IgG2 nor IgG4 was detected. The detection of IgG1 and IgG3 antibodies was not due to an increase of the IgG1 and IgG3 subclasses. Moreover, IgG1 and IgG3 antibodies were not correlated, suggesting that they may play different roles in Q fever.
| Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. | Clin. Microbiol. Rev. | Infect. Immun. |
|---|---|---|
| J. Clin. Microbiol. | J. Virol. | ALL ASM JOURNALS |