| Summary: | Results obtained in this study suggest that in human brucellosis there is an
antibody response against platelet-activating factor (PAF) and
phosphatidylcholine (PC). The specificity of the antiphospholipid response was
determined by inhibition assays. The PAF molecule was able to inhibit the anti-PC
activity of the brucellosis-control serum. This inhibition capacity of PAF was
similar to that of the phosphorylcholine (PYC) group. These results suggest that
the inhibition activity could be attributed to the PYC group present in both PAF
and PC molecules. Consequently, these findings support an immunodominant role of
PYC in the antiphospholipid response of brucellosis. Furthermore, sera from
patients infected with Brucella organisms were able to cause platelet
aggregation, as were brucella phospholipids, suggesting a possible role of the
antiphospholipid antibodies and phospholipids in the inflammatory response in
brucellosis.
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