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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
11:30
Colony Forming Cell (CFC) Assay for Human Hematopoietic Cells
Published on: December 19, 2010
Bartonella quintana in human erythrocytes
Jean-Marc Rolain1, Cédric Foucault, Régis Guieu
1Unité des Rickettsies CNRS UPRES-A 6020, Faculté de Médecine, Université de la Méditerranée, 13385 Marseille Cedex 05, France.
Lancet (London, England)
|July 23, 2002
Summary
Bartonella quintana bacteria were found inside red blood cells of homeless individuals with symptomless infections. This intraerythrocytic presence may explain how body lice transmit the bacteria efficiently.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Parasitology
Background:
- Bartonella quintana causes chronic asymptomatic infections, primarily transmitted by body lice.
- The organism's location within the host during symptomless infection remains unclear.
- Homeless populations are particularly vulnerable to body louse-borne diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the intraerythrocytic presence of Bartonella quintana in asymptomatic individuals.
- To determine if red blood cell colonization is a feature of Bartonella quintana infection.
- To explore the implications of intraerythrocytic bacteria for disease transmission.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a specific monoclonal antibody for Bartonella quintana detection.
- Employed laser confocal microscopy to visualize bacteria within erythrocytes.
- Quantified bacterial load in blood samples from a homeless population in Marseille, France.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated the intraerythrocytic presence of Bartonella quintana in individuals with symptomless bacteremia.
- Identified a bacterial load of at least 5 x 10(4) colony-forming units/mL as predictive of intracellular infection.
- Found no evidence of hemolysis associated with intraerythrocytic Bartonella quintana infection.
Conclusions:
- Red blood cell colonization by Bartonella quintana occurs in symptomless infections.
- Intraerythrocytic presence likely facilitates efficient transmission by body lice.
- Further research is needed to understand the pathogenesis and long-term implications of this infection.
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