The recombinant GroEL gave the highest Cytoskeletal Signaling inhibitor sensitivity at 88% (Table 2). Table 2 Major seroreactive proteins of C. burnetii on microarray probed with Q fever patient sera   Fluorescence

intensity Sensitivitya Protein Normal (n = 25) Acute early (n = 25) Acute late (n = 25) Convalescent (n = 6) Acute early Acute late Convalescent GroEL 114 ± 84 1548 ± 1996 3915 ± 3462 642 ± 382 84% 88% 83% YbgF 104 ± 83 752 ± 1308 1517 ± 1946 1176 ± 1061 44% 72% 67% RplL 85 ± 88 277 ± 396 949 ± 1174 185 ± 119 20% 68% 17% Mip 137 ± 78 324 ± 233 611 ± NU7026 datasheet 669 237 ± 157 44% 60% 17% Com1 70 ± 84 120 ± 326 461 ± 525 253 ± 176 12% 52% 50% OmpH 141 ± 95 210 ± 195 676 ± 1192 398 ± 540 20% 48% 17% DnaK 95 ± 91 143 ± 122 buy JQ-EZ-05 371 ± 480 165 ± 105 16% 48% 17% a Sensitivity was calculated as the percentage (the number of microarray-positive sera divided by the number of sera of patients with Q fever) Specificity analysis of the major seroreactive proteins A small microarray fabricated with GroEL, YbgF, RplL, Mip, Com1, OmpH, and Dnak was

probed with rickettsial spotted fever, Legionella pneumonia or streptococcal pneumonia patient sera. The average FI value of each protein probed with acute late Q fever patient sera were significantly higher compared with that probed with the sera from the other three groups

of patients (P oxyclozanide < 0.05). A reaction was considered positive if the average FI of one protein probed with one of the tested sera were higher than the mean FI plus 2 times the standard deviation probed with the sera of healthy person sera (Additional file 3: Table S3). As a result, YbgF and DnaK displayed no reaction with any of the tested sera, and Com1 and Mip cross-reacted with one or two of the rickettsial spotted fever patient sera (Table 3). OmpH cross-reacted with one of the Legionella pneumonia or streptococcal pneumonia patient sera; GroEL cross-reacted with one of the Legionella pneumonia and two of the rickettsial spotted fever patient sera; RplL cross-reacted with two of the Legionella pneumonia and three of the streptococcal pneumonia patient sera (Table 3). Table 3 Specificity analysis of the major seroreactive proteins of C.