Avaliação do teste de látex comparativamente à cultura e à imunoeletroforese cruzada no diagnóstico de meningites bacterianas

About 326 cerebrospina1 fluid samp1es of patients with clinical signs of meningitis were studied through a commercial latex reagent for bacteria1 antigen detection. The puru1ent cerebrospina1 fluid samp1es were analysed for Neisseria menigitidis groups B and C, Haemophilus influenzae b, and Streptococcus pneumoniae antigens. The results showed a better performance of the latex agglutination test in comparison to culture for Neisseria menigitidis group B and group C, and for Streptococcus pneumoniae. Except frr Streptococcus pneumoniae which was not tested through counterimmunoe1ectrophoresis, the 1atex reagent had better performance than counterimmunoe1ectrophoresis on1y for Neisseria meningitidis group B. Sensitivity of latex test, as compared with culture, showed highest levels for Neisseria meningitidis group B, and for Streptococcus pneumoniae. When latex test results were compared with counterimmunoelectrophoresis ones, highest 1eve1sof sensitivity were observed for Neisseria meningitidis group B and Haemophilus influenzac b. Concerning specificity, fair values were observed for all bacterial agents relating to culture, and for all but Streptococcus pneumoniae which was not tested for counterirnrnunoelectrophoresis; fair values were a1so observed when the results of this method were considered. The degree of kappa agreement (k), when compared with culture, exhibited better K indices for Haemophilus influenzae b, and better K indices for this bacterial agent and for Neisseria meningitidis group C as well, when the resu1ts of latex agglutination test were compared with counterimmunoelectrophoresis method.