Objectives: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of a novel antibody test for the diagnosis of intravascular catheter-related infections due to coagulase-negative staphylococci.
Methods: Sixty-seven patients diagnosed as having central venous catheter (CVC)-associated sepsis based on strict clinical criteria, including positive blood cultures, were compared to 67 patients with a CVC in situ who exhibited no evidence of sepsis. An ELISA serological test based on a novel short-chain lipoteichoic acid antigen isolated from coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) was used to determine the patient's serological response (IgG and IgM) to CVC sepsis caused by CNS. The specificity and sensitivity of the test was determined.
Results: There was a significant increase in the antibody levels (IgG and IgM) to the short-chain lipoteichoic acid in patients with CVC-associated staphylococcal sepsis as compared to the control patients.
Conclusions: This new serological method may offer a useful diagnostic test for intravascular catheter infections caused by staphylococci.