title: A novel method for rapid detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae antigens in blood.
abstract: In this study, we used "RAPIRUN(®)Streptococcus pneumoniae HS (otitis media/sinusitis) (RAPIRUN-HS)," a rapid S. pneumoniae antigen detection kit, to investigate methods for detecting S. pneumoniae antigens in blood of 32 bacterial pneumonia patients. We simultaneously performed PCR to detect S. pneumoniae in blood samples. The results of these tests were compared based on pneumonia severity, determined using the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) score classification. Four S. pneumoniae PCR-positive patients of the six severe pneumococcal pneumonia patients (PSI risk class IV/V) also tested positive using RAPIRUN-HS. Twenty-four mild to moderate pneumonia patients (PSI risk class I-III) were S. pneumoniae PCR-negative; of these, 21 tested negative using RAPIRUN-HS. The pneumococcal pneumonia patients testing positive using RAPIRUN-HS had low leukocyte counts and elevated C-reactive protein and procalcitonin levels, indicating that RAPIRUN-HS results were correlated with pneumonia severity. The time course evaluations of the laboratory tests for severe pneumococcal pneumonia patients showed that RAPIRUN-HS and S. pneumoniae PCR yielded positive results earlier than the changes in procalcitonin and IL-6. Thus, concomitant pneumococcal bacteremia was strongly suspected in patients testing positive using RAPIRUN-HS. In conclusion, RAPIRUN-HS may be useful for determining whether to admit patients into hospitals and selecting the appropriate antimicrobial agents.
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Japanese Red Cross Nagasaki Genbaku Isahaya Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan. Electronic address: kiyofuku@isahaya.jrc.or.jp.
authors.forename: Kiyoyasu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Japanese Red Cross Nagasaki Genbaku Isahaya Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Japanese Red Cross Nagasaki Genbaku Isahaya Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ehara
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Japanese Red Cross Nagasaki Genbaku Isahaya Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Reiji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Japanese Red Cross Nagasaki Genbaku Isahaya Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Toyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsutake
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishimatu
authors.affiliation: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Suguru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akamatsu
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Izumikawa
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kohno
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial
keywords: Bacterial pneumonia; Pneumococcal antigen; Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI); RAPIRUN(®)S. pneumoniae HS; Rapid detection kit