Nature of the antigen present in the cerebrospinal fluid and serum of patients with group A meningococcal meningitis.

Abstract

The antigen detectable by counter-current immunoelectrophoresis in the cerebrospinal fluid and sera of patients with group A meningococcal meningitis was found to be a high molecular weight polysaccharide. Its composition was deduced from its immunochemical identity with a known group A meningococcal polysaccharide which has previously been shown to be a polymer of N-acetyl, O-acetyl mannosamine phosphate.