title: Improved O-serotyping method for Serratia marcescens.
abstract: In a previous study, we found that some O serotypes of Serratia marcescens, as defined by agglutination tests, were not based on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O antigens. We developed a dot enzyme immunoassay with a high degree of LPS specificity and tested 104 distinct clinical strains. Only 7 of the 24 existing O antigens were found in more than one strain: O12/O14 (30.8% of strains examined), O21 (12.5%), O8 (8.7%), O6/O7 (5.8%), O4 (3.8%), O18 (2.9%), and O9 (2.9%). Two new antigens, S1254 (13.5%) and S3255 (3.8%), were also found. Agglutination tests with O antisera identified the LPS antigen in only 36 strains. Prodigiosin production was restricted to serotypes O8, O6, and S3255 and strains with a rough or semirough LPS phenotype. Dot immunoassay appears to offer greater accuracy than agglutination tests for serotype identification in S. marcescens.
authors: Central Public Health Laboratory, London, England.
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: Gaston
authors: T L
authors: TL
authors: Pitt
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D019081:O Antigens; D010641:Phenotype; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012703:Serotyping; D012706:Serratia marcescens / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007106:Immune Sera; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D019081:O Antigens