Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Hygiene logoLink to The Journal of Hygiene
. 1978 Oct;81(2):219–225. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400025043

Klebsiella serotyping by counter-current immunoelectrophoresis.

J M Palfreyman
PMCID: PMC2129776  PMID: 701786

Abstract

The development of a Klebsiella serotyping method by counter-current immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) is described. Antisera were prepared against the capsular antigens of 72 type strains and tested for the specificity and strength of their precipitin reactions with antigens from homologous and heterologous serotypes. All antisera produced strong reactions with their homologous antigen: when diluted to titre 63 were highly specific, 3 cross-reacted strongly and 6 weakly with one other antigen. Pools of antisera for screening purposes were constructed on the basis of common crossreactions: component serotypes of each pool could be detected strongly and specifically. The technique is simple to perform, fairly rapid, and economical in the use of antisera. Results can be read easily and quickly and the intensity of cross-reactions compared directly. The technique appears to be more specific and is less time consuming than the Quellung method, but further assessment of its efficacy in typing routine clinical cultures is necessary.

Full text

PDF
219

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Burns M. W. Precipitins to Klebsiella and other enterobacteria in the serum of patients with chronic respiratory disorders. Lancet. 1968 Feb 24;1(7539):383–385. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(68)91353-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Casewell M. W., Dalton M. T., Webster M., Phillips I. Gentamicin-resistant Klebsiella aerogenes in a urological ward. Lancet. 1977 Aug 27;2(8035):444–446. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(77)90621-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Casewell M. W. Titres and cross reactions of commercial antisera for the capsular typing of Klebsiella species. J Clin Pathol. 1975 Jan;28(1):33–36. doi: 10.1136/jcp.28.1.33. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Eriksen J. Immunochemical studies on some serological cross-reactions in the Klebsiella group. 12. Serological reactions with the acidic capsular polysaccharides from Klebsiella type 3(c) as antigen. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand. 1965;64(4):522–526. doi: 10.1111/apm.1965.64.4.522. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Martin W. J., Yu P. K., Washington J. A., 2nd Epidemiologic significance of Klebsiella pneumoniae. A 3-month study. Mayo Clin Proc. 1971 Dec;46(12):785–793. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Montgomerie J. Z., Doak P. B., Taylor D. E., North J. D., Martin W. J. Klebsiella in faecal flora of renal-transplant patients. Lancet. 1970 Oct 17;2(7677):787–792. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(70)91458-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Moody G. J. Methodology and applications of countercurrent-immunoelectrophoresis in microbiology. Lab Pract. 1976 Sep;25(9):575–580. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Noriega E. R., Leibowitz R. E., Richmond A. S., Rubinstein E., Schaefler S., Simberkoff M. S., Rahal J. J., Jr Nosocomial infection caused by gentamicin-resistant, streptomycin-sensitive Klebsiella. J Infect Dis. 1975 May;131 (Suppl):S45–S50. doi: 10.1093/infdis/131.supplement.s45. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Price D. J., Sleigh J. D. Control of infection due to Klebsiella aerogenes in a neurosurgical unit by withdrawal of all antibiotics. Lancet. 1970 Dec 12;2(7685):1213–1215. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(70)92179-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Rennie R. P., Duncan I. B. Combined biochemical and serological typing of clinical isolates of Klebsiella. Appl Microbiol. 1974 Oct;28(4):534–539. doi: 10.1128/am.28.4.534-539.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Richard C. Etude antigénique et biochimique de 500 souches de Klebsiella. Ann Biol Clin (Paris) 1973;31(4):295–303. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Riser E., Noone P., Bonnet M. L. A new serotyping method for Klebsiella species: evaluation of the technique. J Clin Pathol. 1976 Apr;29(4):305–308. doi: 10.1136/jcp.29.4.305. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Riser E., Noone P., Poulton T. A. A new serotyping method for Klebsiella species: development of the technique. J Clin Pathol. 1976 Apr;29(4):296–304. doi: 10.1136/jcp.29.4.296. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Selden R., Lee S., Wang W. L., Bennett J. V., Eickhoff T. C. Nosocomial klebsiella infections: intestinal colonization as a reservoir. Ann Intern Med. 1971 May;74(5):657–664. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-74-5-657. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Hygiene are provided here courtesy of Cambridge University Press

RESOURCES