Long-term study of humoral immune response in patients with chronic pyelonephritis.

Indirect immunofluorescence was used for the measurement of serum antibody titers against the hemologous urinary strain of infecting organism in patients with a clinical diagnosis of chronic pyelonephritis. The passive hemagglutination technique was employed for comparison. The antibody response of the patients was followed-up for a period of two to four years. In contrast to titers determined by hemagglutination, antibody titers determined by immunofluorescence were found to be persistently elevated, and the indirect immunofluorescence technique is considered a sensitive and reliable method for the serological diagnosis of chronic pyelonephritis.