Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of immunoglobulin G and M antibodies to teichoic acid in intravascular staphylococcal disease.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of IgG and IgM antibodies to cell-wall teichoic acids of Staphylococcus aureus and three defined coagulase-negative staphylococci was tested using serum samples from 11 cases of intravascular coagulase-negative staphylococcal infections, 13 cases of Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis, and 24 patients with no evidence of infection. IgG antibody titers to all four teichoic acids in the 13 patients with Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis were significantly different from those in noninfected control patients (p less than 0.0001). In contrast, IgG antibody titers in serum from 11 cases of intravascular coagulase-negative staphylococcal infection were not significantly different from those in control sera. There were no differences in IgM antibody titers of the three groups. Although the ELISA was sensitive in detecting Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis, it was not reliable in the detection of intravascular coagulase-negative staphylococcal infections, even when tested with specific teichoic acid.