[Significance of antibody titers in recurrent urinary tract infection in children (author's transl)].

2254 antibody titers have been measured by the indirect hemagglutination method in 84 children with recurrent urinary tract infection using single organisms as homologous or several strains from one species (E. coli, Proteus, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas) as polyvalent antigens. Increase of homologous antibody titers within 3 weeks following a significant bacteriuria (65% of all cases) has been found to be a more reliable parameter for diagnosis of infection than leukocyturia or clinical symptoms. Determination of antibody titers is a special diagnostic clue for differentiation of contamination of midstream urine and bacteriuria with less than 10(5) organisms/ml. Cross reactivity between a polyvalent E. coli antigen and homologous E. coli antigens was found in 85% of cases. High or low antibody titer levels do not allow to differentiate between upper or lower urinary tract infection nor are antibody titer levels indicative for kidney involvement and prognosis of the disease.