[Serotyping and subtyping strains of Neisseria meningitidis isolated from patients in Czechoslovakia 1975-1986].

The paper presents results of serotyping and subtyping of 181 strains of N. meningitidis isolated from patients in the CSR during 1975-1988. A new method of whole-cell ELISA with monoclonal antibodies was used. During the investigation period in strains of N. meningitidis serogroup A only serotype 4 was detected (68.4%) and no subtype was found. In N. meningitidis, serogroups B and C, heterogeneity of serotypes and subtypes was found and a relatively high percentage of strains where the type or subtype could not be detected. In N. meningitidis serogroup B serotype 15 (11.0%) and 4 (8.2%) and subtype P1.15 (14.9%) and P1.2 (12.9%) predominated. In N. meningitidis serogroup C serotype 4 (28.8%) and 15 (7.7%) and subtype P1.2 (21.1%) and P1.6 (11.6%) prevailed. This detected heterogeneity of serotypes and subtypes corresponds to the findings of other authors during non-epidemic conditions. The authors present the most frequent combinations of serotypes and subtypes in strains of different serological groups A : 4 : NT, B : NT : P1.2, B : 4 : P1.15, B : 15 : 1.15, B : 15 : NT, C : 4 : NT, C : NT : P1.2. The work confirms the homogeneity of antigenic properties of N. meningitidis strains isolated from one focus.