Patent ID: 8906630

Claim:
A diagnostic assay that detects infection caused by a pathogenic bacteria in the respiratory track airway of a patient, the assay comprising: a) contacting a biological sample from the respiratory tract of said patient with a substrate comprising an affixed first antibody that specifically binds C-reactive protein (CRP) bound to a bacteria from said biological sample, wherein said CRP is produced by said patient in the airway in response to infection by said bacteria, wherein said CRP in the sample is bound to phosphorylcholine (ChoP) expressed by said bacteria, and wherein said infection results in an increased concentration of CRP greater than about a thousand fold in the airway of said patient relative to an uninfected patient or a standard; b) detecting an increased concentration of CRP in said biological sample of said subject relative to the CRP concentration in a biological sample from an uninfected patient or a standard, and detecting an increased concentration of CRP binding to ChoP; c) contacting the first antibody-bound biological sample with a second antibody that species-specifically binds said bacteria; d) detecting the binding of the species specific second antibody to said bacteria, wherein said infection is detected when said increased concentration of CRP, and an increased concentration of CRP binding to ChoP is detected; e) wherein said assay differentiates between pathogenic respiratory bacteria causing a respiratory infection in a patient and a non-pathogenic respiratory bacteria pulmonary disease; and (f) thereby detecting infection caused by said pathogenic bacteria in the airway of said patient.