Determination of the O-serovars of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by slide coagglutination

Abstract

Determination of the somatic (O-) antigens of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by conventional slide agglutination is frequently complicated by the barely discernible, slow reaction of native cells. For diagnostic purposes a more practical procedure, a coagglutination test, has been developed in which protein A bearing Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 12598) cells are added to the agglutination process occurring between specific anti-O serum and native Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Compared to the conventional method, slide O-coagglutination yields larger agglutinates in a shorter mean reaction time, i.e. one minute vs four minutes. Moreover, strains not reacting in the O-agglutination method or reacting only with polyvalent anti-O serum can be grouped by O-coagglutination, and cross reactions between reference strains of different O-groups do not occur. This method facilitates O-grouping of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in epidemiological investigations.