Teichoic acid serology in staphylococcal infections of infants and children.

Counterimmunoelectrophoresis and gel diffusion were utilized for the detection and titration of antibodies to staphylococcal teichoic acids in various disease states caused by coagulase-positive staphylococcus in infants and children. Serum samples were obtained on admission and serially for 2 to 12 weeks during illness. Teichoic acid antibodies were found by CIE in 12 of 21 patients (57%) with invasive CPS disease with bacteremia (Group A), in two of 17 patients (12%) with CPS infection without bacteremia (Group B), in none of 27 patients with bacteremia and/or invasive infections caused by organisms other than CPS (Group C), and in none of 24 noninfected, hospitalized patients or healthy children (Group D). Gel diffusion was useful for titrating antibodies in seropositive sera. Teichoic acid serology is a useful adjunct in the diagnosis of invasive CPS infections. The presence of these antibodies by CIE and gel diffusion may help to identify patients with endothelial or metastatic infections associated with staphylococcal bacteremia.