[Evaluation of the coagglutination reaction with urine in generalized forms of meningococcal infection]

The coagglutination test with concentrated urine was tried in 59 patients with validated generalized forms of meningococcal infection and in 23 ones with meningitides and pneumonia of a different etiology to assess the diagnostic value of this test. Positive results were obtained in 64.4% of the test group patient and in 4.3% of the reference patients (in a case with pneumococcal meningitis). The antigen serologic group in the urine coincided with the serologic group of the meningococcus that induced the disease in only 19 (50%) of the 38 patients in whom antigenuria+ was detected. In the rest cases urine samples reacted parallel with 2-7 antisera, in 5 patients with the antisera heterologic towards the serologic group of the meningococcus responsible for the disease. Antigenuria was observed between the second and ninth days of the illness, its peak was recorded on days 4-6. Repeated urine tests are more likely to yield positive results. The authors come to a conclusion that the test is simple and harmless for patients, but the presence of false positive results permits regarding it as but an auxiliary one.