Prevalence of Legionella antibodies in immunocompromised patients

Abstract

Introduction: Dialysis patients and patients post-renal transplantation can be predisposed to Legionella infections. The aim of this work was to investigate the prevalence of L. pneumophila serogroups 1-7 (SG 1-7) antibodies in dialysis patients and in patients following renal transplantation, in order to analyse the potential risk factors for infections. Material and Methods: Commercial ELISA kits were used for detection of serum IgG (SG 1-7, SG 1) and IgM (SG 1-7) present in patients and the control group. Results: In the studied group of patients, positive results (IgM and/or IgG SG 1-7) were obtained in 20 patients (7.12%). One patient only had two classes of antibodies. From the total study group, the antibodies against L. pneumophila SG 1 were detected in only one patient on dialysis. Patients with L. pneumophila antibodies who are on dialysis or post-renal transplantation did not differ significantly in any of the usually evaluated risk factors of clinical infection. Conclusions: The reported outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease in chronic dialysis patients and those with renal transplants, as well as our results of IgG and IgM antibodies, merit further identification of the sources of this infection but also the ways in which cellular immune system can be managed in the immunocompromised patients with Legionella infection. © 2013 Versita Warsaw and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.