A new multiantigen immunoassay for the quantification of IgG antibodies to capsular polysaccharides of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

A new nitrocellulose-based solid-phase multiantigen immunoassay (MAIA) for the detection of serum antibodies to Streptococcus pneumoniae capsular polysaccharides (PPSs) is presented. Evaluation with human sera showed that the MAIA test is reproducible, sensitive, and specific. It correlated well with a conventional ELISA method. The multiantigen strip system allowed quantification of antibodies against several PPS serotypes simultaneously and with a minimal amount of serum specimen. The presented solid-phase immunoassay for the quantification of anti-PPS antibodies seems to be a superior and attractive alternative to currently used ELISA tests and offers possibilities for standardization.