IMMUNE-RESPONSE TO NON-0157 VERO TOXIN-PRODUCING ESCHERICHIA-COLI IN PATIENTS WITH HEMOLYTIC-UREMIC SYNDROME

The incidence and time course of the immune response to Vero toxin-pro ducing Escherichia coli (VTEC) other than O157 (O26, O55, O111, O128) were determined in 107 children with enteropathic hemolytic uremic syn drome (HUS) by ELISA and compared to antibody profiles of 125 healthy pediatric controls and 100 children with community-acquired uncomplica ted diarrhea. Six of 8 HUS patients with non-O157 VTEC isolates exhibi ted a serologic response to the homologous lipopolysaccharide antigen similar to that of patients infected with E. coli O157. In addition, e levated ISM or IgG antibodies were demonstrated in 7 of 19 culture- an d O157 serology-negative HUS patients. Serogroup-specific antibodies d ecreased below cutoff Levels within several months after convalescence . Anti-non-O157 antibodies were found in 14% of the diarrheic controls . Unexpectedly, a high proportion (27/82) of anti-O157 lipopolysacchar ide antibody-positive HUS samples reacted with LPS from E. coli O55:B5 , suggesting shared epitopes with endemic VTEC O157 strains.