M030: ALCALIGENES XYLOSOXIDANS SUBSPP. XYLOSOXIDANS CHRONIC
COLONISATION IN CYSTIC FIBROSIS PATIENTS: PRESENCE OF SERUM ANTIBODIES
DETECTED BY ELISA ASSAY
E.Ugolotti, G. Manno, M.L. Belli ,C.Malavasi, M.C.Diana* and
C.Jannuzzi II Dept.of Infectious Diseases, * Dept.of Paediatrics,
University of Genoa " G.Gaslini " Institute - Genoa,
Italy.
Alcaligenes xylosoxidans subspp. xylosoxidans (AX) is an emerging pathogen in Cystic Fibrosis (CF).In CF patients (pts) the colonisation of the lower respiratory tract by this multiresistant Gram negative can be favoured by prolonged courses of antibiotic therapy .
In the CF Center of Genoa, from 1982 to 1994, we found AX in the sputa of 29% (66/227) of microbiologically checked pts: 31 pts had just one isolation, but 32 had two or more isolation . In the colonised pts AX persisted for variable periods: mean colonisation time of was 6,15 years (range 2 - 13 years) .
We performed a retrospective study in order to assess the presence of anti-AX serum IgG antibodies (IgG AX-ab) by ELISA assay against a bacterial sonicate antigen .
130 sera collected from 1992 to 1994 were tested: 108 from 53 pts with at least one isolation of AX and 22 from 22 pts chronically colonised by P. aeruginosa e/o B. cepacia (control group).
The results showed the presence of IgG AX-ab in the sera of 26/53 pts with AX: 23 /26 with persistent microbiological positively for AX; 27 pts resulted IgG AX-ab negative, 19/27 with only one isolation of AX; the control group resulted without IgG AX-ab .
In our experience, in some cases AX cause infection some case with concomitant presence of IgG serum antibodies anti-AX: this observation suggests an early antibiotic treatment of pts with bacteriological positively to prevent chronic colonisation .The antibacterial therapy can be difficult for the multiple resistance of AX to antibiotics, particularly for aminoglycosides .