This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Pantophlet, R. Articles by Brade, H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Pantophlet, R. Articles by Brade, H.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, January 2002, p. 60-65, Vol. 9, No. 1
1071-412X/01/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/CDLI.9.1.60-65.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Identification of Acinetobacter Isolates from Species Belonging to the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii Complex with Monoclonal Antibodies Specific for O Antigens of Their Lipopolysaccharides

Research Center Borstel, Division of Medical and Biochemical Microbiology, Borstel, Germany,¹ Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden, The Netherlands,² National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czech Republic³

Received 17 May 2001/ Returned for modification 13 August 2001/ Accepted 9 October 2001

The unambiguous identification of Acinetobacter strains, particularly those belonging to the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex, is often hindered by their close geno- and phenotypic relationships. In this study, monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the O antigens of the lipopolysaccharides from strains belonging to the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex were generated after the immunization of mice with heat-killed bacteria and shown by enzyme immunoassays and Western blotting to be specific for their homologous antigens. Since the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex comprises the most clinically relevant species, the MAbs were subsequently tested in dot and Western blots with proteinase K-treated lysates from a large collection of Acinetobacter isolates (n = 631) to determine whether the antibodies could be used for the reliable identification of strains from this complex. Reactivity was observed with 273 of the 504 isolates (54%) from the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex which were included in this study. Isolates which reacted positively did so with only one antibody; no reactivity was observed with isolates not belonging to the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex (n = 127). To identify additional putative O serotypes, isolates from the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex which showed no MAb reactivity were subjected to a method that enables the detection of lipid A moieties in lipopolysaccharides with a specific MAb on Western blots following acidic treatment of the membrane. By this method, additional serotypes were indeed identified, thus indicating which strains to select for future immunizations. This study contributes to the completion of a serotype-based identification scheme for Acinetobacter species, in particular, those which are presently of the most clinical importance.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Nemec, A., Dijkshoorn, L., van der Reijden, T. J.K. (2004). Long-term predominance of two pan-European clones among multi-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains in the Czech Republic. J Med Microbiol 53: 147-153 [Abstract] [Full Text]