Antibody kinetics in serological indication of chronic Q fever: the Greek experience

Abstract

Background: Q fever caused by the pathogen Coxiella burnetii may have both acute and chronic manifestations. Although paired sera are not required for the diagnosis of chronic Q fever, monitoring of antibody titers can be used to examine the course of treatment. Monitoring both phase II and phase I antibodies may be of limited diagnostic value, but it is a useful means of determining the response to treatment and possible disease relapses.

Methods: In the current survey we determined IgG and IgM of both phase I and phase II for 35 patients suffering from chronic Q fever in an attempt to draw conclusions on the kinetics of the antibodies throughout the course of the disease.

Results: Overall, 33 cases were included in the study. Of the 33 patients, 32 had a good outcome.

Conclusions: Our findings support the general belief that a long period of serological monitoring is required for patients with chronic Q fever.

Keywords: Antibodies; Kinetics; Phase I; Phase II; Q fever.