SERODIAGNOSIS OF PSEUDOMONAS-AERUGINOSA I NFECTIONS IN CYSTIC-FIBROSIS - COMPARISON BETWEEN WESTERN-BLOT, ELISA EXOTOXINE-A AND ELISA PHOSPHOLIPASE-C

Anti-Pseudomonas aeruginosa antibodies were studied by Western Blot, E LISA-exotoxin A and ELISA-phospholipase C for 91 serums from 31 patien ts with cystic fibrosis. More, for the two enzymic-linked immunosorben t assays, 44 serums from 44 healthy individuals were studied as contro ls. The study of these three parameters revealed the followings: - wit h no infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa all the results were negative , - at the beginning of the infection, anti-exotoxin A antibodies appe ared in first, followed in some cases by the reactions of Western Blot , anti-phospholipase C antibodies becomed positive at last and went on a par with the installation of the chronic characteristic of the infe ction, - as soon as the chronicity were indisputable, the three method s revealed elevated serum antibodies amounts. Generally there was a co rrelation between detected antibodies and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isola tion in sputum. Among these three methods, ELISA-exotoxin A appeared t o be the most interesting because of its good reproductibility and its early positivity, before the others methods and sometimes before Pseu domonas aeruginosa isolation. It would be a significant argument to es tablish as soon as possible an antimicrobial therapy.