This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Abd-Alla, M. D.
Right arrow Articles by Ravdin, J. I.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Abd-Alla, M. D.
Right arrow Articles by Ravdin, J. I.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infection and Immunity, July 2006, p. 3897-3903, Vol. 74, No. 7
0019-9567/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.02018-05
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Mucosal Immunity to Asymptomatic Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar Infection Is Associated with a Peak Intestinal Anti-Lectin Immunoglobulin A Antibody Response

Mohamed D. Abd-Alla,1 Terry F. G. H. Jackson,2 Tyson Rogers,1 Selvan Reddy,2 and Jonathan I. Ravdin1*

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota,1 the South Africa Medical Research Council (NATAL), Durban, South Africa2

Received 15 December 2005/ Returned for modification 18 January 2006/ Accepted 23 March 2006

We monitored 93 subjects cured of amebic liver abscess (ALA) and 963 close associate controls in Durban, South Africa, and determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that the intestinal immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibody response to the Entamoeba histolytica galactose-inhibitable adherence lectin is most accurately represented by a complex pattern of transitory peaks. One or more intestinal anti-lectin IgA antibody peaks occurred in 85.9% of ALA subjects over 36 months compared to 41.6% of controls (P < 0.0001). ALA subjects exhibited a greater number of anti-lectin IgA antibody peaks (P < 0.0001) than controls. In addition, their peak optical density values were higher (peak numbers 1 to 3, P < 0.003), peaks were of longer duration (for peaks 1 and 2, P ≤ 0.0054), and there was a shorter time interval between peaks (between 1 and 2 or 2 and 3, P ≤ 0.0106) than observed for control subjects. A prior E. histolytica infection was associated with the occurrence of an anti-lectin IgA antibody peak (79.1%, P < 0.0001) more so than for Entamoeba dispar infection (57.2%, P < 0.001). The annual number of anti-lectin IgA antibody peaks in ALA subjects was 0.71 per year, compared to just 0.22 in controls (P<0.0001), indicating a higher rate of exposure to the parasite than previously appreciated. Anti-lectin IgA antibody peaks were of higher amplitude following a E. histolytica infection compared to E. dispar (P = 0.01) and, for either, were of greater height in ALA subjects than controls (P < 0.01). ALA subjects demonstrated greater clearance of amebic infection after an anti-lectin IgA antibody peak compared to controls, and only 14.3% remained with a positive culture after the peak, compared to 38.9% in controls (P = 0.035). In summary, this prospective controlled longitudinal study elucidated the dynamic nature of the human intestinal IgA antibody response to E. histolytica and E. dispar infection and revealed that ALA subjects exhibit heightened intestinal anti-lectin IgA antibody peaks that are associated with clearance of E. histolytica and E. dispar infection.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 14-110 Phillips Wangensteen Building, 516 Delaware Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455. Phone: (612) 625-3654. Fax: (612) 626-3055. E-mail: Ravdi001{at}umn.edu.

Editor: W. A. Petri, Jr.

Infection and Immunity, July 2006, p. 3897-3903, Vol. 74, No. 7
0019-9567/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.02018-05
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Abd Alla, M. D., White, G. L., Rogers, T. B., Cary, M. E., Carey, D. W., Ravdin, J. I. (2007). Adherence-Inhibitory Intestinal Immunoglobulin A Antibody Response in Baboons Elicited by Use of a Synthetic Intranasal Lectin-Based Amebiasis Subunit Vaccine. Infect. Immun. 75: 3812-3822 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»