RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 The role of serum pseudomonas aeruginosa antibodies in diagnosis and follow-up of patients with cystic fibrosis JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP p4294 VO 38 IS Suppl 55 A1 Deniz Dogru Ersoz A1 Sevgi Pekcan A1 Ebru Yalcin A1 Ugur Ozcelik A1 Nural Kiper A1 Nermin Gurcan A1 Burcin Sener YR 2011 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p4294.abstract AB In cystic fibrosis (CF), if Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) infection is not diagnosed and treated early, chronic colonisation in lungs may later lead to rapid decline in pulmonary functions. The aim of this study was to evaluate Pa antibodies, to compare them with Pa culture results, to determine their role in early diagnosis and follow-up, to correlate them with severity of disease and to determine factors which cause antibody positivity. Ninety CF patients were included; they were divided into chronic, intermittent, control and mucoid Pa groups according to their airway cultures. They were evaluated in every 3-6 months in total 4 visits in a follow-up period of 2 years. In each visit, Pa antibodies against exotoxin, elastase and alkaline protease were determined in blood by ELISA method. The presence of at least one antibody had the highest sensitivity. Among the antibodies, alkaline protease had the highest specificity and elastase had the highest sensitivity. All antibodies were highest in mucoid group folowed by the chronic group. Antibodies were higher in the chronically colonised patients than the noncolonised ones. Elastase was highest in the chronic and lowest in the mucoid Pa group. The presence of antibodies were much higher than positive Pa cultures in patients younger than 5 years of age. Only in mucoid group, there was a negative correlation between FEV1 and alkaline protease. In CF, Pa antibodies can be considered as early markers for diagnosis especially in young children who can not expectorate, however, anti-Pa antibodies should be used together with sputum cultures for long term follow-up and treatment.