Pertussis,alsoknownaswhoopingcough,isarespiratoryinfectionthatcausesapersistentcoughinallagegroupsfromthenewborntotheelderly.BordetellapertussisbacteriaproduceaseriesofBIOLOGicallyactivemoleculeslikepertussistoxin(PT),filamentoushaemagglutinin(FHA)andvariouslipopolysaccharides(LPS).Thesevariouscompoundsappeareitherduringthepathogenesisorduringtheprocessofimmunization.PTisspecificforbordetellapertussiswhereasFHAisfoundinbordetellapertussisandparapertussis.NearlyallacellularvaccineslicensedinEuropecontainPTandFHAinsubstantialamounts.Over90%ofresponsesarethereforedirectedagainsttheimmunogensPTandFHA.
SEROlogicaltestsofallimmunoglobulinclassesarenecessarytodifferentiatebetweenimmuneresponse(IgM,IgG)andinfection(IgM,IgG,IgA)forbordetelladiagnosis.Duringprimaryinfection(acute),theIgMantibodiescanbedetectedinthefirst5-10daysafteronsetof2ndstageconvulsivumandpersistfor6-12weeks.IgA-antibodiescanbedetected11daysafterdiseaseonsetandcanpersistfor6-24months.IgGantibodiesoccur2-3weeksafteronsetofthedisease.Reinfectionsaremarkedbyincreasedantitoxin-IgG-and-IgA-antibodies.

OurELISAswithmixedbordetellaantigenssuchaspertussistoxin(PT)andfilamentoushaemagglutinin(FHA)aresensitive,easytoperformandcanbeusedformonitoringofhumoralimmunostatusfollowingvaccination,differentialdiagnosisofacuteandrecentinfectionsaswellasepidemiologicalstudies.