Anti-Pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide Ab, IgG, serum

This assay is designed to measure antibody responses to pneumococcal vaccines incorporating 23 polysaccharides isolated from Streptococcus pneumoniae. These polysaccharides represent approximately 80% of the commonly encountered virulent serotypes. Immunization with 23-valent vaccines is recommended for elderly patients to reduce death due to pneumonia and for children over 2 years that are at risk of severe life threatening pneumococcal infection.

A patient’s antibody response may be evaluated by the serological determination of their IgG anti-PCP antibody levels pre- and post-vaccination using this quantitative enzyme immunoassay. Patients with repeated bacterial infections should be investigated for immunodeficiency and thus inability to respond to specific polysaccharide antigens. To assess the immunological capabilities of patients, clinicians will monitor the level of specific antibody levels before and after a Pneumovax immunization.

The response in 30% of subjects to vaccination with S. pneumoniae is attributable to C-polysaccharide (CPS) antibodies and not to specific anti-PCP IgG. These CPS antibodies confer limited protection against pneumococcal infection; consequently CPS absorption has been incorporated in this assay.