An application of outer membrane protein p6-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of haemophilus influenzae in middle ear fluids and nasopharyngeal secretions.

• Main Authors: Muneki Hotomi, Akihisa Togawa, Masamitsu Kono, Gen Sugita, Rinya Sugita, Yutaka Fujimaki, Yosuke Kamide, Akihiro Uchizono, Keiko Kanesada, Shoichi Sawada, Naohiro Okitsu, Hisayo Masuda, Hideaki Tanaka, Yumi Tanaka, Noboru Yamanaka
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013-01-01
• Series: PLoS ONE
• Online Access: http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3756020?pdf=render

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay specific to outer membrane protein P6 (P6-ELISA) was applied for detecting Haemophilus influenzae in middle ear fluids (MEFs) from acute otitis media (AOM) patients and in nasopharyngeal secretions (NPSs) from acute rhinosinusitis patients. P6-ELISA had a sensitivity of 83.3% for MEFs and 71.5% for NPSs and a specificity of 85.6% for MEFs and 92.5% for NPSs, respectively. Real-time PCR exhibited significant differences in the number of ompP1 gene copies among samples determined by P6-ELISA to be positive and negative for H. influenzae. However, because the P6-ELISA test has the reactivity in Haemophilus species include two commensals H. haemolyticus and H. parainfluenzae, it is thus a weak method in order to detect only NTHi correctly. Consequently, diagnosis using the P6-ELISA should be based on an overall evaluation, including the results of other related examinations and clinical symptoms to prevent misleading conclusions in clinical setting.