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Specific immunoglobulin A to Bordetella pertussis antigens in mucosal secretion for rapid diagnosis of whooping cough

Specific immunoglobulin A (IgA) to Bordetella pertussis filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) and pertussis toxin (PT) was determined in mucosal secretions by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). It took 3 to 4 h to complete the ELISA. The upper limits of normal values for age were determined in nasopharyngeal (NPH) secretions from 23 patients with viral infections and in 10 healthy adults working with pertussis patients or cultures. A significant IgA response to FHA was found in 38 of 54 (70%) and to PT in 28 of 54 (52%) NPH secretions from patients with pertussis confirmed by culture, serology, or both. The rate of positive responses to either antigen (44 of 54 [81%]) was significantly higher than that by culture alone (29 of 54 [54%]; P less than 0.01). The rate of positive responses increased from 65% in patients with symptoms for 1 week or less to 87 to 92% in patients with symptoms for 2 or more weeks. The specific IgA response to PT was found in 100% of NPH samples from 17 unimmunized children less than 3 years of age and in only 30% of adults and immunized children greater than 3 years of age. A response to FHA was found in 65 to 73% of the NPH secretions in all age groups. Saliva samples were found to contain specific IgA to FHA and PT in all age groups, but these were of diagnostic value in 50% (11 of 22) of the adult patients. The specificity of the ELISA was 100% (10 of 10 negatives) in NPH secretions from patients with pertussis-like cough who had negative cultures and serology. The results indicate that determination of specific IgA to PT and FHA in NPH aspirates represents a sensitive and rapid diagnostic method for the detection of pertussis.