| Abstract [eng] |
Streptococcus pneumonine is a gram-positive bacterial organism that colonizes the upper respiratory tract and causes diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis, otitis media, sinusitis and others. Disease rates are particularly high in young children. One of the aims of this study was to assess the prevalence rates of streptococcal infection among the population of healthy children of preschool age. 601 nasopharyngeal samples were tested from 2-7 years age kindergardeners in Vilnius. Streptococcus pneumonine were grown from 280 samples (47 % of collected samples). 22 different serotypes were identified; the most frequent serotypes were determined 19F, 23F, 6B, 6A, 3, and 18C. Frequently S.pneumonine colonizes mucosal epithelium at nasopharynx without causing any symptoms. In that case the immunity of an organism is of great significance. The second aim of this study is to evaluate the immune response to pneumococcal infection. The amount of separate immunoglobuline classes (IgG, IgA, and IgM) were assessed in saliva samples of infected children. Monoclonal antibodies developed by hybridoma technology were applied. The amounts of classes IgA, sIgA, IgG, IgM antibodies were determined parallel to amount of specific antibodies to S.pneumonine. Correlation between data groups (total amount of actual immunoglobulin class, concentration of specific antibodies) was weak or moderate. Generally, evaluation of mucosal immunity by enzyme immunoassay is informative and perspective especially by the possibility to avoid venepuncture of children. |
