Immunochemical and antigenic characterization ofCoxiella burnetii strains isolated in Europe and Mongolia

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Abstract
SDS-PAGE, immunoblotting and serological methods such as microimmunofluorescence (MIF) test and ELISA were used to compare protein and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) profiles and antigenicity of 12Coxiella burnetii strains isolated mostly from ticks in Europe and Mongolia with three referenceC. burnetii strains originating from USA, namelyNine Mile from tick,Priscilla from goat placenta and S from human heart valve. Among strains from Europe and Mongolia, no significant differences in protein and LPS profiles were observed, irrespective of their origin, i.e. the country and source of isolation. The LPS profiles of these strains appeared to be more related to those ofNine Mile strain associated with acute Q fever, than to those of strainsS andPriscilla associated with chronic Q fever. In immunoblots all strains isolated from Slovakia and Poland reacted more expressively with rabbit serum againstNine Mile than with serum againstPriscilla strain. In the MIF test and ELISA there were no substantial differences in antibody-binding capacity between the reference and newly isolatedC. burnetii strains, except for strainPriscilla reacting with homologous serum in lower antigenic concentration than other strains under study. However, in the MIF test much higher antigenic concentrations of eachC.burnetii strain was required to detect antibodies in thePriscilla serum than in theNine Mile, Luga andS sera.