Meningococcal antigen in diagnosis and treatment of group A meningococcal infections

Meningococcal antigen was measured by countercurrent immunoelectrophoresis in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of 200 patients with group A meningococcal meningitis. Antigen was detected in the blood of 27 (13.5 per cent) patients. These patients had a worse prognosis and a higher incidence of alle...

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Veröffentlicht in:The American journal of medicine 1975-06, Vol.58 (6), p.823-828
Hauptverfasser: Whittle, H.C., Greenwood, B.M., Davidson, N.McD, Tomkins, A., Tugwell, P., Warrell, D.A., Zalin, A., Bryceson, A.D.M., Parry, E.H.O., Brueton, M., Duggan, M., Oomen, J.M.V., Rajkovic, A.D.
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Meningococcal antigen was measured by countercurrent immunoelectrophoresis in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of 200 patients with group A meningococcal meningitis. Antigen was detected in the blood of 27 (13.5 per cent) patients. These patients had a worse prognosis and a higher incidence of allergic complications, such as arthritis and vasculitis, about 5 days after the start of antibiotic treatment. Antigen was found in the CSF of 129 (67.5 per cent) patients; antigen often persisted in the cerebrospinal fluid despite antibiotic treatment before admission. A combination of immunoelectrophoresis and routine bacteriologic study was used in the diagnosis of 162 (84.8 per cent) patients with meningococcal meningitis. High levels of antigen and a slow antigen disappearance were associated with neurologic damage. The antigen is stable and may be detected from specimens of cerebrospinal fluid dried on filter paper.
ISSN:0002-9343
1555-7162
DOI:10.1016/0002-9343(75)90638-5