Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Clinical Microbiology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Microbiology
. 1989 Jun;27(6):1286–1291. doi: 10.1128/jcm.27.6.1286-1291.1989

Antibodies to staphylococcal peptidoglycan and its peptide epitopes, teichoic acid, and lipoteichoic acid in sera from blood donors and patients with staphylococcal infections.

H I Wergeland 1, L R Haaheim 1, O B Natås 1, F Wesenberg 1, P Oeding 1
PMCID: PMC267543  PMID: 2473994

Abstract

Antibodies to the staphylococcal antigens peptidoglycan, beta-ribitol teichoic acid, and lipoteichoic acid, as well as to the peptidoglycan epitopes L-Lys-D-Ala-D-Ala, L-Lys-D-Ala, and pentaglycine, were found over a wide range of concentrations in sera from both blood donors and patients with verified or suspected staphylococcal infections. The patient group was heterogeneous with regard to both age and type of staphylococcal infections, being representative for sera sent to our laboratory. In single-antigen assays antibodies to pentaglycine had the highest predictive positive value (67%), although only 32% of the patients had elevated levels of such antibodies. Combinations of test antigens could yield positive predictive values as high as 100%, but then the fraction of positive sera was low. Indeed, the fraction of patient sera which was positive in multiple-antigen tests never exceeded 61%. The clinical usefulness of these seroassays for identifying Staphylococcus aureus as a causative agent was limited, owing to the considerable overlap in the range of antibody concentrations between patient and blood donor sera.

Full text

PDF
1286

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aasjord P., Grov A. Immunochemical studies on Staphylococcus aureus plasma membrane. I. Isolation and chemical characterization. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand B. 1978 Jun;86B(3):131–137. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1978.tb00021.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Aasjord P., Nyland H., Mørk S. Encephalitis induced in rabbits by staphylococcal lipoteichoic acid. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand C. 1980 Dec;88(6):287–291. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1980.tb00108.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BADDILEY J., BUCHANAN J. G., RAJBHANDARY U. L., SANDERSON A. R. Teichoic acid from the walls of Staphylococcus aureus H. Structure of the N-acetylglucosaminyl-ribitol residues. Biochem J. 1962 Mar;82:439–448. doi: 10.1042/bj0820439. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Christensson B., Espersen F., Hedström S. A., Kronvall G. Serological assays against Staphylococcus aureus peptidoglycan, crude staphylococcal antigen and staphylolysin in the diagnosis of serious S. aureus infections. Scand J Infect Dis. 1985;17(1):47–53. doi: 10.3109/00365548509070419. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Christensson B., Espersen F., Hedström S. A., Kronvall G. Solid-phase radioimmunoassay of immunoglobulin G antibodies to Staphylococcus aureus peptidoglycan in patients with staphylococcal infections. Acta Pathol Microbiol Immunol Scand B. 1983 Dec;91(6):401–406. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1983.tb00067.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Christensson B., Fehrenbach F. J., Hedström S. A. A new serological assay for Staphylococcus aureus infections: detection of IgG antibodies to S. aureus lipase with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. J Infect Dis. 1985 Aug;152(2):286–292. doi: 10.1093/infdis/152.2.286. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Christensson B., Hedström S. A., Kronvall G. Antibody response to alpha- and betahemolysin from Staphylococcus aureus in patients with staphylococcal infections and in normals. Acta Pathol Microbiol Immunol Scand B. 1983 Oct;91(5):351–356. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1983.tb00059.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Coley J., Tarelli E., Archibald A. R., Baddiley J. The linkage between teichoic acid and peptidoglycan in bacterial cell walls. FEBS Lett. 1978 Apr 1;88(1):1–9. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(78)80594-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Franken N., Seidl P. H., Zauner E., Kolb H. J., Schleifer K. H., Weiss L. Quantitative determination of human IgG antibodies to the peptide subunit determinant of peptidoglycan by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Mol Immunol. 1985 May;22(5):573–579. doi: 10.1016/0161-5890(85)90181-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Granström M., Julander I. G., Hedström S. A., Möllby R. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibodies against teichoic acid in patients with staphylococcal infections. J Clin Microbiol. 1983 Apr;17(4):640–646. doi: 10.1128/jcm.17.4.640-646.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. HAUKENES G. Immunochemical studies on polysaccharide A of Staphylococcus aureus. 4. Paper chromatography of acid hydrolysates. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand. 1962;55:299–307. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1962.tb04129.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Helgeland S., Grov A., Schleifer K. H. The immunochemistry of Staphylococcus aureus mucopeptide. I. Antigenic specificity of the peptide subunits. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand B Microbiol Immunol. 1973 Aug;81(4):413–418. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1973.tb02224.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Jacob E., Durham L. C., Falk M. C., Williams T. J., Wheat L. J. Antibody response to teichoic acid and peptidoglycan in Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis. J Clin Microbiol. 1987 Jan;25(1):122–127. doi: 10.1128/jcm.25.1.122-127.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Jarløv J. O., Christensson B., Espersen F., Hertz J. B., Hedström S. A. Antibody response against whole Staphylococcus aureus in patients with staphylococcal septicaemia and endocarditis investigated by ELISA. Acta Pathol Microbiol Immunol Scand B. 1985 Aug;93(4):307–313. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1985.tb02893.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Jarløv J. O., Espersen F., Christensson B., Jensen B. A., Hedström S. A., Hertz J. B. Antibody response to whole cells and teichoic acid of Staphylococcus aureus strain E 1369 in human sera. Acta Pathol Microbiol Immunol Scand B. 1987 Apr;95(2):115–120. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1987.tb03097.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Knox K. W., Wicken A. J. Immunological properties of teichoic acids. Bacteriol Rev. 1973 Jun;37(2):215–257. doi: 10.1128/br.37.2.215-257.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Lambert P. A., Hancock I. C., Baddiley J. Occurrence and function of membrane teichoic acids. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1977 May 31;472(1):1–12. doi: 10.1016/0304-4157(77)90012-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Larinkari U., Leirisalo M., Pentikäinen P. J., Turunen U., Pikkarainen P., Vuoristo M., Lumio J., Räsänen T., Valtonen V. V. Occurrence of antibodies to teichoic acid in patients with diseases other than staphylococcal infection. J Med Microbiol. 1983 Feb;16(1):45–52. doi: 10.1099/00222615-16-1-45. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Osland A., Grov A., Oeding P. Immunochemical analysis of the teichoic acid from Staphylococcus hyicus. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand B. 1979 Jun;87B(3):165–169. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1979.tb02421.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. PARK J. T., HANCOCK R. A fractionation procedure for studies of the synthesis of cell-wall mucopeptide and of other polymers in cells of Staphylococcus aureus. J Gen Microbiol. 1960 Feb;22:249–258. doi: 10.1099/00221287-22-1-249. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Ranu R. S. Studies on the immunochemistry of Staphylococcus aureus cell wall: antigenicity of pentaglycine bridges. Med Microbiol Immunol. 1975;161(1):53–61. doi: 10.1007/BF02120770. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Schleifer K. H., Kandler O. Peptidoglycan types of bacterial cell walls and their taxonomic implications. Bacteriol Rev. 1972 Dec;36(4):407–477. doi: 10.1128/br.36.4.407-477.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Seidl P. H., Schleifer K. H. Specific antibodies to the N-termini of the interpeptide bridges of peptidoglycan. Arch Microbiol. 1978 Aug 1;118(2):185–192. doi: 10.1007/BF00415728. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Solsvik E., Grov A., Endresen C. Staphylococcus aureus peptidoglycan studied by electron microscopy of immunoperoxidase-treated sections of cell walls. Acta Pathol Microbiol Immunol Scand B. 1984 Feb;92(1):7–12. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1984.tb02787.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Verbrugh H. A., Nelson R. D., Peterson P. K., Wilkinson B. J., Thompson R. L. Serology of Staphylococcus aureus infections using multiple antigens and serial serum samples. J Infect Dis. 1983 Sep;148(3):608–608. doi: 10.1093/infdis/148.3.608. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Verbrugh H. A., Peters R., Goessens W. H., Michel M. F. Distinguishing complicated from uncomplicated bacteremia caused by Staphylococcus aureus: the value of "new" and "old" serological tests. J Infect Dis. 1986 Jan;153(1):109–115. doi: 10.1093/infdis/153.1.109. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Verbrugh H. A., Peters R., Rozenberg-Arska M., Peterson P. K., Verhoef J. Antibodies to cell wall peptidoglycan of Staphylococcus aureus in patients with serious staphylococcal infections. J Infect Dis. 1981 Jul;144(1):1–9. doi: 10.1093/infdis/144.1.1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Ward J. B. Teichoic and teichuronic acids: biosynthesis, assembly, and location. Microbiol Rev. 1981 Jun;45(2):211–243. doi: 10.1128/mr.45.2.211-243.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Wergeland H. I., Endresen C. Antibodies to various bacterial cell wall peptidoglycans in human and rabbit sera. J Clin Microbiol. 1987 Mar;25(3):540–545. doi: 10.1128/jcm.25.3.540-545.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Wergeland H., Endresen C., Natås O. B., Aasjord P., Oeding P. Antibodies to Staphylococcus aureus peptidoglycan and lipoteichoic acid in sera from blood donors and patients with staphylococcal infections. Acta Pathol Microbiol Immunol Scand B. 1984 Oct;92(5):265–269. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1984.tb02832.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Wheat J., Kohler R. B., White A., Garten M., Wilkinson B. J. IgM and IgG antibody response to teichoic acid in infections due to Staphylococcus aureus. J Infect Dis. 1983 Jun;147(6):1101–1101. doi: 10.1093/infdis/147.6.1101. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Zeiger A. R., Tuazon C. U., Sheagren J. N. Antibody levels to bacterial peptidoglycan in human sera during the time course of endocarditis and bacteremic infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Infect Immun. 1981 Sep;33(3):795–800. doi: 10.1128/iai.33.3.795-800.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES