Diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia by detection of antigen in saliva

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Abstract
A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for the detection of pneumococcal C polysaccharide in saliva samples from patients with radiologically verified pneumonia. In 16 of 29 patients (55 %) with pneumococcal pneumonia, as verified by conventional culture methods, the antigen was present in saliva specimens. The test was negative in 35 of 36 patients (97 %) with non-pneumococcal pneumonia and in all saliva samples from a control group, consisting of 25 patients with no signs of respiratory disease. It is concluded that the detection of pneumococcal C polysaccharide in saliva offers a valuable complement to conventional diagnostic methods for pneumonoccal pneumonia.

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