Detection of pneumolysin in cerebrospinal fluid for rapid diagnosis of Pneumococcal meningitis.
OBJECTIVE
Pneumolysin, a toxin produced by Streptococcus pneumoniae is associated with virulence and is found in all invasive isolates. Its role as a diagnostic tool has recently been exploited. Most of the methods used are based on molecular techniques and are not cost-effective. The present study was undertaken to evaluate a simple, rapid and cost-effective method to detect pneumolysin in CSF as a diagnostic test for pneumococcal meningitis.


METHODS
A total of 75 CSF samples from children with presumptive diagnosis of acute pyogenic meningitis or encephalitis were subjected to Gram stain, culture and pneumolysin detection by Cowan 1 staphylococcal protein A co-agglutination technique.


RESULTS
Pneumolysin was detected in 26(78.8%) of 33 culture proven CSF samples and 4(9.5%) of 42 culture negative samples. Antigen detection by Co-A had a specificity of 90 per cent and a sensitivity of 79 per cent when compared with culture. Compared to Gram stain, pneumolysin Co-A had a specificity and sensitivity of 91.0 and 92.0 per cent respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Detection of pneumolysin was found to be a simple, low cost antigen detection assay for rapid diagnosis of pneumococcal meningitis, for routine use in the developing countries.
Kanungo
Reba
R
Department of Microbiology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research Pondicherry, India. rebakanungo2001@yahoo.com
Bhaskar
M
M
Kumar
A
A
Badrinath
S
S
Rajalakshmi
B
B
D000372:Agglutination Tests / Q000379:methods; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A; D013301:Streptolysins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A; D013301:Streptolysins; C032290:plY protein, Streptococcus pneumoniae