SIGNIFICANCE OF ISOLATION OF MORAXELLA-CATARRHALIS IN ROUTINE CULTURES FROM THE RESPIRATORY-TRACT IN ADULTS - ANTIBODY-RESPONSE STUDIED IN A WHOLE-CELL EIA

The significance of the isolation of Moraxella catarrhalis from sputum or nasopharynx was studied in patients treated at an infectious disea se clinic. A whole-cell enzyme immunoassay was used to detect a specif ic antibody response to M. catarrhalis during infection. In all, 27 pa tients with respiratory tract infections and 4 with other infections w ere studied. Titre rises were recorded in 11/23 patients with lower re spiratory tract infections, whereas patients with common cold or infec tions elsewhere all had negative serology. In patients with acute bron chitis, 7/10 patients responded with a significant titre rise. Patient s with a low titre in their acute serum sample were those who responde d with a titre increase during infection. The findings indicate that i solation of M. catarrhalis from sputa and nasopharyngeal samples in ad ults is of value for the etiological diagnosis of acute bronchitis and other lower respiratory tract infections, and is therefore important for the choice of drug for treatment, as many isolates are resistant t o beta-lactam antibiotics.