• 1 January 1968
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 38  (2) , 287-+
Abstract
A method was evaluated for the titration of antibodies to Vibrio cholerae based on the ability of sera containing such antibodies to neutralize the inflammatory effect of a factor from V. cholerae cultures on the skin of test animals. Ninefold or greater rises in toxin-neutralization titer were found in 73 [degree]/o of 111 bacteriologically confirmed cholera patients in an endemic area of East Pakistan, and in 2.5 [degree]/o of bacteriologically negative patients. This method compares well with the microtechniques developed for the titration of vibrio-agglutinating and vibriocidal antibodies to V. cholerae. The toxin-neutralization method has the advantage that no titer rise is produced in response to vaccination with the whole-cell vaccine in current use in East Pakistan. Relatively high toxin-neutralization titers were noted among children under 15 years of age without vibriocidal or agglutinating antibodies, and without a history of prior infection with V. cholerae.