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Capsular Serotyping of Streptococcus pneumoniae by Latex Agglutination
Published on: September 25, 2014
Validation of a multiplex pneumococcal serotyping assay with clinical samples
Jisheng Lin1, Margit S Kaltoft, Angela P Brandao
1Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 845 19th Street South (BBRB 614), Birmingham, AL 35249-7331, USA.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology
|February 4, 2006
Summary
A new multibead assay for pneumococcal serotyping was validated across multiple countries. This rapid method accurately identifies 36 common serotypes, with minor adjustments improving its reliability.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Streptococcus pneumoniae causes significant global disease.
- Accurate serotyping is crucial for understanding pneumococcal epidemiology and vaccine development.
- Existing serotyping methods can be time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate a novel, rapid multibead assay for pneumococcal serotyping.
- To assess the assay's performance with clinical isolates from diverse geographical locations.
- To identify and address any discrepancies in serotyping results.
Main Methods:
- Development of a multiplexed immunoassay (multibead assay) for capsular polysaccharides.
- Testing of 495 clinical pneumococcal isolates from Brazil, Denmark, and Mexico.
- Comparison of multibead assay results with the traditional Neufeld test.
Main Results:
- The multibead assay identified 36 key pneumococcal serotypes, covering over 90% of US isolates.
- Initial validation showed 11% discrepancy rate, primarily due to technical issues or insufficient growth.
- Eight persistent discrepancies were resolved by refining reagents, particularly for serotypes 6A, 11A, and 18C, confirming assay validity.
Conclusions:
- The multibead assay is a valid and reliable method for rapid pneumococcal serotyping.
- Cross-validation with diverse clinical isolates is essential for new diagnostic assays.
- The study suggests potential serological subtypes within the 6A pneumococcal serotype.
