Correlation of antistaphylococcal antibody titers with severity of staphylococcal disease

Counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE) was utilized to determine antistaphylococcal precipitin antibody titers in patients with various staphylococcal diseases and in control subjects. Patients with staphylococcal disease comprised five cases of endocarditis, 22 of deep tissue infection (including seven cases of osteomyelitis), six of bacteremia and six of skin infection. Control subjects consisted of 31 patients with nonstaphylococcal bacteremias, 29 hospitalized patients without infection and 30 healthy subjects. Antistaphylococcal antibodies were present in all patients with staphylococcal endocarditis and deep tissue staphylococcal infection, and all but three had titers greater than or equal to 1:4. No significant difference in titers was found between these two groups of patients. Antibodies, although present in some patients in the other categories, were detected less frequently; only two patients had titers greater than or equal to 1:4. Thus, an antistaphylococcal antibody titer by CIE of 1:4 or greater may be an additional diagnostic parameter helpful in distinguishing patients with staphylococcal endocarditis or deep tissue infection from those with other forms of staphylococcal infection and from noninfected subjects.