Usefulness of urinary antigen detection by an immunochromatographic test for diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia in children

J Clin Microbiol. 2003 May;41(5):2161-3. doi: 10.1128/JCM.41.5.2161-2163.2003.

Abstract

We evaluated an immunochromatographic assay detecting pneumococcal antigen in urine samples from children diagnosed with pneumococcal pneumonia. The sensitivity and specificity of the immunochromatographic test with nonconcentrated urine (NCU) were 86.7 and 62.9%, respectively; with concentrated urine (CU), they were 100 and 11.7%, respectively. Pneumococcal antigen was also detected in 42.5% of NCU and 87.1% of CU samples from nasopharyngeal carriers. This is a nonspecific test for the diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia in children, particularly the very young.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Antigens, Bacterial / urine*
  • Carrier State / diagnosis
  • Carrier State / microbiology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Chromatography / methods
  • Chromatography / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoassay / methods*
  • Immunoassay / statistics & numerical data
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Nasopharynx / microbiology
  • Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / diagnosis*
  • Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / microbiology
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / immunology*
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / isolation & purification

Substances

  • Antigens, Bacterial