Direct Streptococcus pneumoniae real-time PCR serotyping from pediatric parapneumonic effusions.

BMC Pediatr. 2014 Jul 24;14(1):189.

Direct Streptococcus pneumoniae real-time PCR serotyping from pediatric parapneumonic effusions.

Slinger R1, Hyde L, Moldovan I, Chan F, Pernica JM.

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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.

PMID: 25060939 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] PMCID: PMC4118202 Free PMC Article