Enzyme-linked immunospecific antibody test for detecting antibody to Klebsiella.

The enzyme-linked immunospecific antibody test was performed in standard test tubes and microtiter plates to meausre high-titer antibody against Klebsiella capsular polysaccharide. Initial studies were conducted with rabbit sera; other studies were conducted with the serum of a patient infected with type 9 Klebsiella. Both immunized rabbits and an infected patient disclosed high titers of anticapsular antibody. Control sera from other immunized rabbits and other infected humans failed to show this substantial antibody titer against type 9 Klebsiella. Comparisons between counterimmunoelectrophoresis and indirect immunofluorescence disclosed that the sensitivity of the enzyme-linked immunospecific antibody test for anti-Klebsiella antibody ranged between 400 and 10,000 times that of these tests.