Identification of Haemophilus influenzae type b by a monoclonal antibody coagglutination assay.

A coagglutination assay using monoclonal antibody is described for the identification of Haemophilus influenzae type b. An immunoglobulin G2a monoclonal antibody, Hb-2, directed against a serotype-specific outer membrane protein of H. influenzae type b was adsorbed to Staphylococcus aureus Cowan 1 cells. In a dot enzyme immunoassay, Hb-2 reacted with 453 of 455 H. influenzae type b isolates and did not react with H. influenzae of other serotypes, untypeable H. influenzae strains, or other bacterial species. The Hb-2 coagglutination assay was evaluated by testing 136 H. influenzae type b strains selected on the basis of multilocus enzyme genotypes, 5 strains of another serotype, and 94 untypeable H. influenzae strains. The specificity of the coagglutination assay was demonstrated by the inhibition of the reaction by free Hb-2 monoclonal antibodies. The coagglutination assay was as specific as the dot enzyme immunoassay and can be rapidly performed and easily interpreted.