A @entity328 latex agglutination (LA) test (Bactigen; Wampole Laboratories, Div. Carter-Wallace, Inc., Cranbury, N.J.) and counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE) were compared for the detection of pneumococcal antigen in serum and urine specimens from 68 elderly @entity1 with @entity2258 . The cases were categorized according to the presumptive role of @entity2260 : definite, putative, questionable (poor score), or questionable (mixed flora). Serum and urine samples were collected on days 1 to 3, 4 to 6, and 7 to 9 of illness and screened in parallel by LA and CIE. LA detected pneumococcal antigen in the serum or urine or both from 31 (46%) of the 68 @entity2258 cases compared with 10 (15%) of cases detected by CIE. The highest rates of detection were noted in the 17 definite (bacteremic) cases: 88% by LA and 38% by CIE. The detection rates for both tests were lower in the other nonbacteremic @entity55 categories. Pneumococcal antigen was detected more often in urine specimens than in serum specimens by LA and CIE and was detected in the urine of 92 and 46% of definite cases, respectively, after 7 to 9 days of illness despite antibiotic therapy. Both tests were specific when tested with nonpneumococcal @entity55 cases, but LA detected pneumococcal antigen in two of seven chronic @entity3617 cases. This study suggests that LA is as specific and more sensitive than CIE and is useful for detecting antigen in the elderly with proven @entity2258 . LA is less sensitive for detecting @entity2258 and, therefore, would be of limited value in the care and study of the institutionalized elderly.

Comparison of latex agglutination and counterimmunoelectrophoresis for the detection of pneumococcal antigen in elderly XXXX @entity1 .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity3617 :: ('MESH:D001991', 'Disease') :: ['bronchitis'] @entity55 :: ('MESH:D011014', 'Disease') :: ['pneumonia'] @entity2260 :: ('2104', 'Species') :: ['S. pneumoniae'] @entity2258 :: ('MESH:D011018', 'Disease') :: ['pneumococcal pneumonia', 'nonbacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia', 'bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia'] @entity328 :: ('1313', 'Species') :: ['Streptococcus pneumoniae']
@entity55 :: (MESH:D011014,Disease) :: ['pneumonia']
