Urinary excretion of pneumococcal cell wall polysaccharide in children.

The urinary excretion of the cell wall polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae was studied in 92 children with the NOW test. Cell wall polysaccharide was detected in 65% of pneumococcal carriers and in 10% of noncarriers. Excretion rates were similar in healthy children and in children with acute otitis media. The high rate of antigen excretion among nonill carriers suggests that colonization is a major source of urinary antigen in children.