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Didier Raoult, MD,PhD; Bernard La Scola, MD,PhD; Philippe Lecocq, MD; Hubert Lepidi, MD,PhD; Pierre-Edouard Fournier, MD,PhD

JAMA. 2001;285:1039-1043.

Context  Culture of Tropheryma whippelii has been established only once, in human fibroblast cell lines from a heart valve inoculum. Molecular-based diagnostic techniques, although highly sensitive, may be less specific. New diagnostic tools involving isolation of bacteria from contaminated intestinal biopsies and immunohistological detection need to be developed.

Objective  To describe a novel method for detection and culture of T whippelii strains.

Design, Setting, and Subjects  Laboratory analysis of duodenal biopsy specimens from a patient with typical relapsing Whipple disease with intestinal involvement, performed Marseille, France, in March 2000. Biopsy specimens were decontaminated with antimicrobial agents and inoculated onto cell cultures. Mouse anti–T whippelii polyclonal antibodies were used to detect T whippelii in fixed specimens taken from the patient before and after relapse, compared with specimens from 10 controls. The genotype of the isolate was determined by amplification and sequencing of 2 DNA fragments (ITS and 23S rRNA).

Main Outcome Measure  Isolation and genotyping of a new strain(s) of T whippelii from the case patient's biopsy specimens.

Results  A strain was grown from the case patient's intestinal specimen that has a genotype different from the first strain isolated. During 2 episodes of Whipple disease, T whippelii bacteria were detected by immunochemistry in the patient's duodenal biopsy specimens, but not in controls.

Conclusions  A second strain of T whippelii has been isolated and a protocol for isolation from the intestine has been proven to be efficient. Immunodetection of T whippelii in intestinal biopsy specimens may provide a useful tool for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with Whipple disease. Both techniques need further evaluation and confirmation.

Author Affiliations: Unité des Rickettsies, Faculté de Médecine, Université des la Méditerranée/CNRS, Marseille, France (Drs Raoult, La Scola, Lepidi, and Fournier); and Service de Médecine B, Médecine Interne et Maladies Infectieuses, Hôpital de Denain, Denain, France (Dr Lecocq).

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