title: siaD PCR ELISA for confirmation and identification of serogroup Y and W135 meningococcal infections.
abstract: Non-culture diagnosis and serogroup determination of meningococcal infection is important in contact management where vaccination may be possible. A serogroup B and C PCR ELISA assay for the non-culture diagnosis and serogroup determination has proved invaluable for enhanced epidemiological surveillance and contact management. A polymerase chain reaction assay, based on a restriction fragment length polymorphism in the meningococcal serogroup Y and W135 sialyltransferase (siaD) gene, was developed to enhance the range of non-culture diagnosis of meningococcal infection from clinical samples. The PCR assay was adapted to an ELISA format incorporating hybridisation with serogroup-specific Y and W135 oligonucleotide probes. The serogroup-specific W135 and Y PCR ELISA is a useful addition to currently available serogroup B and C assay for non-culture diagnosis of meningococcal infection and outbreak investigation.
authors.affiliation: Manchester Public Health Laboratory, Withington Hospital, Didsbury, UK. ray@manphl.demon.co.uk
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borrow
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Claus
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Chaudhry
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guiver
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Kaczmarski
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frosch
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Fox
mesh_terms: D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012703:Serotyping; D012799:Sialyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012799:Sialyltransferases