title: Direct Streptococcus pneumoniae real-time PCR serotyping from pediatric parapneumonic effusions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To determine the serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae responsible for pneumonia complicated by parapneumonic effusion in children, we performed real-time PCR based pneumococcal "serotyping" directly on parapneumonic fluid samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  Specimens were collected at two children's hospitals in Ontario, Canada from 2009 to 2011. Samples in which S. pneumoniae was detected by PCR were tested with serotype-specific 5'exonuclease PCR assays for the 13 serotypes contained in the 13-serotype pneumococcal vaccine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-five S. pneumoniae PCR-positive pleural samples were studied. Pneumococcal serotyping PCR assays were positive for 34 of 35 (97%). Serotype 3 was detected most frequently, in 19/35 (54%), followed by serotype 19A in 9/35 (26%), serotype 7 F/A in 4/35 (11%), serotype 1 in 1/35 (3%), and serotype 6A also in 1/35 (3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PCR testing demonstrated that the vast majority (97%) of S. pneumoniae parapneumonic effusions were caused by serotypes present in the 13-serotype vaccine that were not present in the original 7 serotype vaccine. This suggests that use of the 13-serotype vaccine could potentially prevent many S. pneumoniae pneumonias complicated by parapneumonic effusion in our region, provided serotype replacement does not occur.
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada. slinger@cheo.on.ca.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Slinger
authors: Lucie
authors: L
authors: Hyde
authors: Ioana
authors: I
authors: Moldovan
authors: Francis
authors: F
authors: Chan
authors: Jeffrey M
authors: JM
authors: Pernica
mesh_terms: D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D009864:Ontario; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000382:microbiology*; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012703:Serotyping; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines