# Anticardiolipin Antibody Determination to Guide Q Fever Treatment

## TL;DR

This paper discusses a case of Q fever in a man who was diagnosed with the disease and monitored using anticardiolipin antibodies to guide treatment and prevent complications.

## Contribution

The study introduces the use of anticardiolipin antibody determination to guide treatment and monitor complications in acute Q fever.

## Key findings

- A 39-year-old man with acute Q fever hepatitis was diagnosed using PCR and phase II antibodies.
- Anticardiolipin antibody levels were monitored to guide treatment and prevent complications like endocarditis.

## Abstract

Query (Q) fever is a worldwide infectious disease with acute and chronic manifestations caused by Coxiella burnetii. The clinical manifestations are so variable that the disease is often only diagnosed if systematically considered as a differential diagnosis. Here, we present a case of a 39-year-old man who lived in a countryside house, with cattle and sheep in his field, with acute Q fever hepatitis with the typical granulomatous arrangement in the liver biopsy. The diagnosis was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay in a serum sample and the presence of phase II antibodies. Anticardiolipin antibody (aCL) determination at diagnosis of acute Q fever and during follow-up was made to persecute early identification and to guide the treatment and prophylaxis of possible complications, such as endocarditis.