Campylobacter jejuni bacteraemia as a cause of recurrent fever in a patient with hypogammaglobulinaemia

Summary In a hypogammaglobulinaemic patient with faecal cultures persistently positive for Campylobacter jejuni it was shown that C. jejuni bacteraemia was responsible for a long history of self-limiting attacks of fever. A focus of infection outside the gastro-intestinal tract was not found. Antimicrobial treatment failed to eradicate C. jejuni . Antibodies against C. jejuni were not detectable and there was also a defect in serum bactericidal activity. In contrast with normal serum, it was shown that, when patient's serum was used in tests, IgG and the components of complement C 3 and C 4 did not bind to C. jejuni .