Detection of anti-Vibrio vulnificus cytolysin antibodies in sera from mice and a human surviving V. vulnificus disease.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a cytolysin neutralization assay were used detect anti-Vibrio vulnificus cytolysin antibodies in sera from mice and a human that survived V. vulnificus disease. The detection of antibodies against the cytolysin indicated that the cytolysin is produced in vivo, and this observation is consistent with the hypothesis that the cytolysin is involved in the pathogenesis of V. vulnificus disease.