Latex agglutination test for measurement of antibodies to meningococcal polysaccharides

A latex agglutination test employing serogroup-specific meningococcal polysaccharides as the antigen has been developed. The test has been used to measure serological responses in patients with meningococcal disease, in meningococcal carriers, and in volunteers who received meningococcal vaccines. It has been shown to be a sensitive and highly specific test for the detection of group-specific meningococcal antibody. The advantages of standardized particles and antigens which are simple to prepare and stable make this assay feasible for many nonspecialized or small laboratories.