TY - JOUR
T1 - Molecular analysis of the fetal igm response to treponema pallidum antigens
T2 - Implications for improved serodiagnosis of congenital syphilis
AU - Sanchez, P. J.
AU - McCracken, G. H.
AU - Wendel, G. D.
AU - Olsen, K.
AU - Threlkeld, N.
AU - Norgard, M. V.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was partially supported by Public Health Service grants AI-16692 and AI-17366 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (to M. V. N.) and by grant R30/CCR602742-02 from the Centers for Disease Control (to G. D. W.).
PY - 1989/3
Y1 - 1989/3
N2 - Western blot analysis of the fetal IgM response to Treponema pallidum antigens was examined among 39 pairs of maternal/infant sera; this included 12 mothers and infants with active syphilis (group I), 9 mothers with active syphilis and their infants with uncertain infection (group II), and 18 mothers treated for syphilis before delivery and their asymptomatic infants (group III). A fetal IgM response to T. pallidum antigens with apparent molecular masses of 72, 47, 45,42, 37, 17, and 15 kDa was observed among sera of infants with congenital syphilis. Fractionation of sera into IgM and IgG components by high performance liquid chromatography confirmed that fetal IgM antibodies in every case were directed specifically against a 47-kDa antigen. Two asymptomatic infants from group II also showed serum IgM reactivities with the 47-kDa antigen, thereby appearing to confirm in utero infection. The combined data suggest that fetal serum IgM reactivity with the 47-kDa antigen of T. pallidum can be used as an important molecular marker for the diagnosis of congenital syphilis.
AB - Western blot analysis of the fetal IgM response to Treponema pallidum antigens was examined among 39 pairs of maternal/infant sera; this included 12 mothers and infants with active syphilis (group I), 9 mothers with active syphilis and their infants with uncertain infection (group II), and 18 mothers treated for syphilis before delivery and their asymptomatic infants (group III). A fetal IgM response to T. pallidum antigens with apparent molecular masses of 72, 47, 45,42, 37, 17, and 15 kDa was observed among sera of infants with congenital syphilis. Fractionation of sera into IgM and IgG components by high performance liquid chromatography confirmed that fetal IgM antibodies in every case were directed specifically against a 47-kDa antigen. Two asymptomatic infants from group II also showed serum IgM reactivities with the 47-kDa antigen, thereby appearing to confirm in utero infection. The combined data suggest that fetal serum IgM reactivity with the 47-kDa antigen of T. pallidum can be used as an important molecular marker for the diagnosis of congenital syphilis.
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U2 - 10.1093/infdis/159.3.508
DO - 10.1093/infdis/159.3.508
M3 - Article
C2 - 2644381
AN - SCOPUS:0024504377
SN - 0022-1899
VL - 159
SP - 508
EP - 517
JO - Journal of Infectious Diseases
JF - Journal of Infectious Diseases
IS - 3
ER -