Evaluation of ELISA in the diagnosis of Yersinia enterocolitica diarrhoea in children.

In a series of acute gastroenteritis in children, including 2 bacteriologically confirmed cases of Yersinia enterocolitica infection, paired sera from 286 patients were studied for the presence of Y. enterocolitica 0:3 and 0:9 antibodies, using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the 2 cases with positive stool culture of Y. enterocolitica 0:3 significant rise was seen in each IgM, IgG and IgA class Y. enterocolitica 0:3 antibodies. There were 6 further cases with elevated anti-Yersinia IgM: these possibly false-positive reactions were distinguished from the confirmed cases of Y. enterocolitica infection by the absence of IgG and IgA antibodies.