The Antibody Response to Brucella: Immunoglobulin Response Measured by Enzyme-linked lmmunosorbent Assay and Conventional Tests

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Abstract
An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was adapted to measure total and individual classes of Brucella [B] antibody. The results were compared with those of conventional tests for B antibody on the sera of a number of healthy seropositive abattoir workers and several patients with either acute or suspected chronic brucellosis. IgG was the class of B specific Ig most commonly detected in all groups. IgM was present in the sera of 40% of seropositive abattoir workers, all but one of the patients with recent acute brucellosis or seroconversion and none of those with suspected chronic brucellosis. Many of the abattoir workers'' sera which contained B specific IgM gave negative results in the direct agglutination test. The presence of B specific IgM in the sera of these men was, in most cases, associated with no past history of acute brucellosis and a relatively short employment period in the abattoir. Apparently the presence of B specific IgM in the serum of a person occupationally exposed to B. abortus probably indicates a relatively recent primary infection, either symptomatic or subclinical, and has no prognostic significance. Repeated or prolonged exposure is associated with IgG B antibodies, often in high titer, irrespective of symptoms. It was not possible, on the basis of any serological tests performed in this study to distinguish healthy people exposed to B from those with symptoms consistent with chronic brucellosis.