Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26335454›Full record

ArticlePloS one2015

Comparison of a Real-Time Multiplex PCR and Sequetyping Assay for Pneumococcal Serotyping.

Felix S Dube, Suzan P van Mens, Lourens Robberts, Nicole Wolter, Paul Nicol, Joseph Mafofo, Samantha Africa, Heather J Zar, Mark P Nicol

Open access · goldAbstract readComparative StudyValidation Study
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Accurate serotype identification ofJournal of clinical microbiology · 2026
    Article
  2. The Molecular Approaches and Challenges ofPolish journal of microbiology · 2023
    Review
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  12. Application of capsular sequence typing (CST) to serotype non-viable Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from an old collection.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2016
    Article
  13. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 7 institutions in 3 countries.

Felix S DubeDivision of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Suzan P van MensDivision of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, St Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, the Netherlands.
Lourens RobbertsDivision of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Nicole WolterCentre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis (CRDM), National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa; School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Paul NicolThe State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Australia.
Joseph MafofoCentre for Proteomic and Genomic Research (CPGR), Cape Town, South Africa.
Samantha AfricaDivision of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Heather J ZarDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa; MRC Unit on Child and Adolesscent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Mark P NicolDivision of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; National Health Laboratory Service, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.
University of Cape Town · ZAAfrican Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer · ZAGroote Schuur Hospital · ZAMurdoch University · AURed Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital · ZASt. Antonius Ziekenhuis · NLUniversity of the Witwatersrand · ZA

Funding

The nasopharyngeal microbiome and respiratory disease in African childrenU01AI110466 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN · PI NICOL, MARK PATRICK, ZAR, HEATHER JOY · 2013 to 2016
$1.4M
NIAID NIH HHS U01 AI110466
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPneumococcal serotype identification is essential to monitor pneumococcal vaccine effectiveness and serotype replacement. Serotyping by conventional serological methods are costly, labour-intensive, and require significant technical expertise. We compared two different molecular methods to serotype pneumococci isolated from the nasopharynx of South African infants participating in a birth cohort study, the Drakenstein Child Health Study, in an area with high 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) coverage.

methodsA real-time multiplex PCR (rmPCR) assay detecting 21 different serotypes/-groups and a sequetyping assay, based on the sequence of the wzh gene within the pneumococcal capsular locus, were compared. Forty pneumococcal control isolates, with serotypes determined by the Quellung reaction, were tested. In addition, 135 pneumococcal isolates obtained from the nasopharynx of healthy children were tested by both serotyping assays and confirmed by Quellung testing. Discordant results were further investigated by whole genome sequencing of four isolates.

resultsOf the 40 control isolates tested, 25 had a serotype covered by the rmPCR assay. These were all correctly serotyped/-grouped. Sequetyping PCR failed in 7/40 (18%) isolates. For the remaining isolates, sequetyping assigned the correct serotype/-group to 29/33 (88%) control isolates. Of the 132/135 (98%) nasopharyngeal pneumococcal isolates that could be typed, 69/132 (52%) and 112/132 (85%) were assigned the correct serotype/-group by rmPCR and sequetyping respectively. The serotypes of 63/132 (48%) isolates were not included in the rmPCR panel. All except three isolates (serotype 25A and 38) were theoretically amplified and differentiated into the correct serotype/-group with some strains giving ambigous results (serotype 13/20, 17F/33C, and 11A/D/1818F). Of the pneumococcal serotypes detected in this study, 69/91 (76%) were not included in the current PCV13. The most frequently identified serotypes were 11A, 13, 15B/15C, 16F and 10A.

conclusionThe rmPCR assay performed well for the 21 serotypes/-groups included in the assay. However, in our study setting, a large proportion of serotypes were not detected by rmPCR. The sequetyping assay performed well, but did misassign specific serotypes. It may be useful for regions where vaccine serotypes are less common, however confirmatory testing is advisable.

Indexed as

Bacterial ProteinsBacterial Typing TechniquesCarrier StateDNA, BacterialGenes, BacterialHigh-Throughput Screening AssaysHumansInfantMultiplex Polymerase Chain ReactionNasopharynxPneumococcal InfectionsPneumococcal VaccinesProtein Tyrosine PhosphatasesReal-Time Polymerase Chain ReactionSequence Analysis, DNASequence Homology, Nucleic Acid13-valent pneumococcal vaccineBacterial ProteinsCpsB protein, Streptococcus pneumoniaeDNA, BacterialPneumococcal VaccinesProtein Tyrosine Phosphatases

Identifiers

PMID26335454
PMCPMC4559314
OpenAlexW1848609951

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.