Superoxol and aminopeptidase tests for identification of pathogenicNeisseria species andMoraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis

The superoxol test, and prolyl aminopeptidase and gammaglutamyl aminopeptidase tests were evaluated for the detection of pathogenicNeisseria spp. using 317 strains ofNeisseriaceae. The superoxol test was positive for all 116 gonococci and 62Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis strains, but also for three strains ofNeisseria meningitidis, one strain ofNeisseria lactamica and eight saprophytic neisseriae. When using strains grown on Thayer-Martin medium, the positive and negative predictive values of the superoxol test for the identification ofNeisseria gonorrhoeae were 96.7 % and 100 % respectively. Meningococci were the only neisseriae growing on Thayer-Martin medium that showed gamma-glutamyl aminopeptidase activity. The prolyl aminopeptidase test showed low specificity.