Monoclonal antibody based differentiation of Coxiella burnetii isolates.

Isolates of Coxiella burnetii from different geographic regions in Europe, USA, Japan and Africa were compared in their binding properties to the monoclonal antibody (MoAb) 1/4/H directed against the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of C. burnetii strain Priscilla. Immunoblot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed different binding patterns of C. burnetii isolates under study. Most of the isolates tested did react with MoAb 1/4/H. Only four of 20 groups of isolates and one isolate of an otherwise positively reacting group did not react with MoAb 1/4/H. The results indicate a significant variation of LPS structure of the C. burnetii isolates studied.