Fiebre Tifoidea Diagnóstico por pruebas inmunoenzimáticas: Elisa

Abstract

The hereby presented work describes the developpment of an "Enzime-linked Immuno Sorbent Assay [ELISA)" for the indirect diagnosis of Typhoid Fever. It is posible, by means of this technique, to do an objective and neat analysis of the results. The technique is a quantitative one, since the extent of the enzymatic reaction is proportional to the concentration of circulating antibodies against the somatic antigen (O-antigen) of Salmonella typhi. Furthermore, the technique is highly specific for Salmonella typhi. Sera from patients who suffered infections caused by Salmonella enteritidis serotypes paratyphy A,B and typhimurium gave negative results, undistinguishable from those obtained with sera from an uninfected control group. The technique was useful as well, to define the level of antibodies against the somatic antigen of Salmonella typhi in a population which was assumed as a healthy one and to compare it with the level of antibodies induced by the illness. Post-vaccinational levels of antibodies were determined and found surprisingly low The results are widely discussed.