THE DETECTION OF GROUP B STREPTOCOCCAL POLYSACCHARIDES IN URINE BY AGGLUTINATION

Abstract

Prepared staphylococcal co-agglutination reagents were used for the detection of group B streptococcal polysaccharides in the concentrated and unconcentrated urine of 78 infants with presumed bacterial infection. These prepared reagents were compared to commerically available reagents (Phadebact, Wellcogen). All reagents were evaluated for their ability to identify patients infected with group B streptococci and for their ability to detect purified group B and type III polysaccharides. All three reagents were able to identify the six patients with positive group B streptococcal blood cultures when concentrated urine was tested. All three reagents had equivalent levels (62.5 ng/ml) of detection for the group B polysaccharide when 20 ul of polysaccharide solution was used. These reagents had poor levels of detection for the type III polysaccharide. Prepared reagents were as sensitive as those commercially available for the detection of infants with group B streptococcal disease and were one one-hundredth the cost.

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