Antibodies against Vibrio cholerae lipopolysaccharide, cell-bound haemagglutinin and toxin in the intestinal fluid during convalescence.

ABSTRACT

Specific antibodies to V. cholerae lipopolysaccharide (LPS), cell-bound haemagglutinin (CHA) and toxin (CT) in the intestinal lavages of healthy Thais and Thai cholera patients during the convalescence period were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Only IgM and IgA specific antibodies were detectable in the specimens. All of the persons who were just recovered from cholera had IgA anti-CT and IgA anti-LPS and 82.4% had IgA anti-CHA. The IgA anti-CT, anti-LPS and anti-CHA were detected also in the gut fluids of 70.6%, 94.1% and 88.2%, respectively, of the healthy controls. The mean levels of the IgA antibodies of all specificities between the two groups of individuals were not different. However, the IgM anti-CT and IgM anti-LPS of the cholera patients increased during the convalescence period. The levels, therefore, were significantly higher than those of the controls. The ratios of IgA anti-CT IgM anti-CT and IgA anti-LPS IgM anti-LPS among the patients were 2.931 and 2.021, respectively while those of the controls were 101 and 341, respectively. IgA antibodies predominated in the lavages of both groups of the individuals.