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Proteus vulgaris agglutination by cystic fibrosis sera
Archives of Disease in Childhood
|February 1, 1980
Insights
A factor in cystic fibrosis (CF) patient sera agglutinates Proteus vulgaris, resembling IgG antibodies. However, high false-positive rates in controls limit its use for CF heterozygote identification.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Genetics
Background:
- Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder.
- Proteus vulgaris is a bacterium.
- Serological markers are explored for CF diagnosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the factor in CF patient sera that agglutinates Proteus vulgaris.
- To assess the potential of this factor for identifying CF heterozygotes.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of sera from cystic fibrosis patients and their parents.
- Testing sera for agglutination activity against Proteus vulgaris.
- Comparison of the agglutinating factor with IgG antibodies.
Main Results:
- A factor in CF patient and parent sera agglutinates Proteus vulgaris.
- This factor shares characteristics with IgG antibodies to P. vulgaris.
- Sera from non-CF patients with P. vulgaris infections also show similar agglutination.
Conclusions:
- The agglutinating factor is not specific enough for reliable CF heterozygote identification.
- High false-positive rates in the control population limit the test's clinical utility.
Abstract:
The factor in sera of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and their parents which agglutinates Proteus vulgaris has characteristics similar to those of IgG antibody to this organism. Sera of patients without CF who have P. vulgaris infections agglutinate the organism similarly. At present there are too many false-positives in a control population for the test to be widely useful for heterozygote identification.