PERSISTENCE OF CAMPYLOBACTER-FETUS BACTEREMIA ASSOCIATED WITH ABSENCEOF OPSONIZING ANTIBODIES

Campylobacter fetus causes systemic infections in immunocompromised ho sts. We describe a case in which C. fetus bacteremia apparently relaps ed after 7 years in a patient with hypogammaglobulinemia and character ize the serum resistance of the patient's C. fetus strain and the inab ility of the patient's serum, with and without commercial intravenous immunoglobulin, to opsonize this and another C. fetus strain effective ly. The probable presence of a sequestered site of infection in bone, the intrinsic serum resistance of the C. fetus strain, and the absence of specific antibody may account for the persistent infection in this patient. These studies suggest that intravenous immunoglobulin treatm ent is not useful in eradicating C. fetus bacteremia.