Follow-up of antibody changes in brucellosis patients in Gansu, China

Brucellosis, caused by the intracellular bacterium Brucella, often leads to chronic infection with recurrent symptoms, posing significant therapeutic challenges. Effective monitoring of antibody dynamics is crucial for understanding disease progression and enhancing clinical outcomes. To investigate the longitudinal dynamics of antibody titers and antigen-specific responses in animal husbandry practitioners exposed to brucellosis in Gansu, China. We conducted a serological study involving 400 animal husbandry workers, identifying 21 seropositive individuals (5.25%). Antibody titers and antigen-specific responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and BP26 protein were assessed using the Rose-Bengal test (RBT), serum agglutination test (SAT), and western blotting. Acute brucellosis patients displayed a distinct three-phase antibody titer pattern: a rapid rise (12-38 days), a rapid decline (19-41 days), and a slow decline (42-148 days). BP26-specific antibodies persisted significantly longer than LPS antibodies, remaining detectable up to 395 days post-infection. Early treatment reduced acute-phase antibody titers, correlating with disease control. This study combined dynamic antibody titer monitoring with specific antigen monitoring, enhancing the accuracy and specificity of brucellosis diagnosis and offering a basis for chronic infection detection. The findings are highly significant for clinical practice and public health strategies, particularly in high-incidence areas, prevention and control, as well as high-risk population surveillance.

Brucella, a zoonotic intracellular bacterium, poses significant threats to both human health and economic security. Clinically, brucellosis can be challenging to differentiate from other long-term febrile illnesses, necessitating prompt and standardized treatment to prevent chronic persistent infections and multi-organ damage, which are notoriously difficult to treat. Thus, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the disease's progression is essential for early diagnosis and effective treatment strategies. This paper delves into the dynamics of serum antibody titers in patients with acute brucellosis, shedding light on the temporal patterns of antibody titers. Such insights are pivotal for monitoring disease progression and assessing the efficacy of treatment interventions. Furthermore, through western blotting analysis, the study reveals that antibodies against the BP26 protein in brucellosis patients persist over an extended period, which is helpful to identify the durable immune response of brucellosis and provides a theoretical basis for vaccine development and treatment strategy formulation.