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Updated: Jun 19, 2026
09:11
Capsular Serotyping of Streptococcus pneumoniae by Latex Agglutination
Published on: September 25, 2014
A NOTE ON THE PRODUCTION OF ANTIPNEUMOCOCCUS SERA
1Division of Laboratories and Research of the New York State Department of Health, Albany.
The Journal of Experimental Medicine
|October 30, 2009
Summary
Horse immunization against pneumococcus types I and II yields protective serum. Type III serum aids in differentiating pneumococcus strains and offers prompt agglutination without prior organism treatment.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology and Immunology
- Bacteriology
- Vaccine Development
Background:
- Pneumococcus infections pose significant public health challenges.
- Development of effective antiserum is crucial for treating pneumococcal infections.
- Standardization of antiserum potency is necessary for clinical application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the protective efficacy of antisera generated from horses immunized with different pneumococcus types (I, II, and III).
- To establish a minimum standard for pneumococcus antiserum potency for therapeutic use.
- To assess the diagnostic utility of Type III pneumococcus antiserum.
Main Methods:
- Immunization of horses with virulent strains of Type I, Type II, and Type III pneumococci.
- Determination of serum protective titers through mouse protection assays using varying volumes of virulent cultures.
- Comparison of experimentally derived antisera with reference samples from The Rockefeller Institute Hospital.
- Evaluation of Type III antiserum's ability to agglutinate pneumococcus organisms without prior capsule removal.
Main Results:
- Type I pneumococcus antiserum demonstrated high protective efficacy, with 0.1 cc. protecting against 0.5 cc. of virulent culture.
- Type II pneumococcus antiserum showed variable but significant protective activity in mice.
- Antisera from Types I and II, produced using different culture methods, exhibited comparable protective titers.
- Type III pneumococcus antiserum provided moderate protection and achieved prompt agglutination of homologous organisms, simplifying diagnostic procedures.
Conclusions:
- A minimum standard of 0.1 cc. of pneumococcus antiserum protecting mice against at least 0.2 cc. of virulent culture is recommended for therapeutic use.
- Further research into immunization methods may yield more potent antisera.
- Type III pneumococcus antiserum is a valuable diagnostic tool for differentiating pneumococcus strains and facilitates rapid identification without pre-treatment.
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