A Rapid Slide-Agglutination Method for Typing Pneumococci by Means of Specific Antibody Adsorbed to Protein A-Containing Staphylococci

Abstract

SUMMARY A new slide-agglutination method was developed for the serological typing of pneumococci. Type-specific antibodies were bound to stabilised, protein-A containing staphylococci through theri Fc fragments. The combining sites of the antibodies remained available to the corresponding type-specific antigen; when pneumococci were mixed with a suspension of the stabilised staphylococci coated with homologous antibody, strong agglutination occurred rapidly. Eighty-nine pneumococcal strains were typed by this agglutination method. The results obtained were in complete agreement with those of typing by Neufeld’s capsule-“ swelling” method.