PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Labbé, M
AU  - Delamare, N
AU  - Pepersack, F
AU  - Crokaert, F
AU  - Yourassowsky, E
TI  - Detection of Bacteroides fragilis and Bacteroides melaninogenicus by direct immunofluorescence.
AID  - 10.1136/jcp.33.12.1189
DP  - 1980 Dec 01
TA  - Journal of Clinical Pathology
PG  - 1189--1192
VI  - 33
IP  - 12
4099  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/33/12/1189.short
4100  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/33/12/1189.full
SO  - J Clin Pathol1980 Dec 01; 33
AB  - A new diagnostic kit, which contains a polyvalent antiserum for either Bacteroides fragilis or Bacteroides melaninogenicus, was tested for reliability and specificity on 146 clinical samples of different origin. A correlation between the culture and immunofluorescence was observed for B. fragilis in 87.39% of cases and for B. melaninogenicus in 81.48% of cases. When pure cultures were tested, aerobically as well as anaerobically, false-positive reactions were observed with staphylococci and Clostridium ramosum spores. The well-defined morphology of these bacteria and spores allows for the elimination of any diagnostic error. The method is rapid, and the margin for error is limited. The test gives a semiquantitative idea of the number of bacteroides organisms present in the clinical specimens even in the presence of a mixed flora.