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| Year : 2003 | Volume
: 21
| Issue : 3 | Page : 213 |
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Role of anti-teichoic acid antibodies in the diagnosis of staphylococcus aureus infections using counterimmunoelectrophoresis
RP Dhale , CA Dharmadhikari , R DD Kulkarni , RM Powar
Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Miraj - 416 410, Maharashtra, India
Correspondence Address:
Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Miraj - 416 410, Maharashtra, India
How to cite this article:
Dhale R P, Dharmadhikari C A, Kulkarni R D, Powar R M. Role of anti-teichoic acid antibodies in the diagnosis of staphylococcus aureus infections using counterimmunoelectrophoresis. Indian J Med Microbiol 2003;21:213 |
How to cite this URL:
Dhale R P, Dharmadhikari C A, Kulkarni R D, Powar R M. Role of anti-teichoic acid antibodies in the diagnosis of staphylococcus aureus infections using counterimmunoelectrophoresis. Indian J Med Microbiol [serial online] 2003 [cited 2021 Mar 5];21:213. Available from: https://www.ijmm.org/text.asp?2003/21/3/213/8023 |
Dear Editor,
Ribitol teichoic acid is an important component of Staphylococcus aureus cell wall. It is antigenic and precipitating antibodies are produced by the patients in response to it.[1] Detection of anti-teichoic acid antibodies (ATA-Abs) by counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIEP) can be useful and rapid method for the diagnosis of deep-seated Staphylococcus infections.[2]
This study included 136 cases of cellulitis, osteomyelitis, diabetic foot, burns etc. from Staphylococcal and other than Staphylococcus infections. ATA-Ab was detected by CIEP in 84 cases accounting for 61.8% incidence. Fifty control serum samples from healthy blood donors were included. From 39 culture proven S. aureus infections (87.00%), 11 cases showed titre of >4 (ATA-Ab). Thirty one of 43 (70.2%) cases of coagulase negative Staphylococcus infections showed low ATA-Ab titre (up to 2) and from 45 cases of other than Staphylococcus infections 12 cases (26.30%) showed very low titre of ATA-Ab. Low titre levels (1, 2) of teichoic acid antibody were found in patients with coagulase negative staphylococcal infections and other than staphylococcal infections caused by Enterobacteriaceae group of organisms.[2],[3] This may be because coagulase negative staphylococci contain very low proportion of glycerol teichoic acid with N-acetyl glucosamine residue as minor teichoic acid antigen. These minor antigens may induce antibodies against teichoic acid antigen in low titres. Thus ATA-Ab titre of >4 or greater by CIEP may be an additional diagnostic parameter in the diagnosis of S. aureus infections.[4],[5]
| ~ References | |  |
| 1. | Crowder, White JG. Teichoic acid antibodies in staphylococcal and non staphylococcal endocarditis; Annals of internal medicine 1972;77:87-90.  |
| 2. | Jackson SDR. Correlation of antistaphylococcal antibody titres with severity of staphylococcal disease. American J Med 1978;64:629-633. |
| 3. | Le CT, Lewin DB. Teichoic acid serology in staphylococcal infections of infants and children. J Pediatr 1978; 93(4):572-577. |
| 4. | Wise KA, Tosolini FA. Detection of Teichoic Acid antibodies in Staphylococcus aureus infections. Pathology 1992; 24(2):102-105. |
| 5. | Tuazon SCV, John NTA. Antibodies in diagnosis of serious infection with S. aureus. Annals Int Med 1976;84(5): 543-546. |
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