Evaluation of a modified nitrous acid extraction latex agglutination kit for grouping beta-hemolytic streptococci and enterococci.
The rapid and accurate identification of the Lancefield group of beta-hemolytic streptococci and enterococci is an important procedure in clinical laboratories. Latex agglutination techniques are more rapid and technically less demanding than traditional extraction-precipitation methods. Prolex (Pro-Lab Diagnostics, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada) is a latex agglutination kit which contains modified nitrous acid reagents to extract antigens and can be used to detect group D antigen in streptococci and enterococci, as well as group A, B, C, F, and G antigens. A total of 302 strains of streptococci and enterococci were tested with this kit. All streptococci of groups A (41 strains), B (39 strains), C (35 strains), D (3 strains), F (10 strains), and G (48 strains) were correctly grouped, as were 125 (97%) of 129 strains of enterococci. Prolex is a reliable method for grouping the beta-hemolytic streptococci and enterococci most frequently encountered in clinical laboratories.
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Department of Microbiology, Basildon Hospital, Nethermayne, Essex, United Kingdom.
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests / Q000379:methods*; D009608:Nitrous Acid; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D009608:Nitrous Acid