Frequency and distribution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa serotypes 03, 06, 011in three northwestern Ohio hospitals as determined by ELISA using specificmonoclonal antibodies

Hybridoma producing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), specific for three clinic ally significant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (serotypes 03, 06, and 011), were g enerated to investigate the prevalence of these serotypes in three Northwes tern Ohio hospitals. Fusion products reacting with bacterial cells or membr ane extracts were detected by enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Th ree mAbs designated: 72C, 11 H (IgM) and 11E (IgG2b), were selected. These mAbs reacted with approximately 40% of the clinical isolates of P. aerugino sa in each hospital. The incidence of serotype 011 varied in these hospital s, ranging from 13.2%-23.8%. Serotype 011 predominated in two of the three hospitals. The prevalence of serotype 06 was similar in all three hospitals (13.6-15%). In one of the hospitals (Hospital 2), the occurrence of seroty pe 06 was slightly higher (15%) than serotype 011 (13.2%). Serotype 03 occu rred less frequently (1.5%) in one of the hospitals than in the other two ( 10-11%). None of the serotypes showed clear predilection toward any body si te. The mAbs did not react with other strains of P. aeruginosa, nor with ot her gram-negative or gram-positive organisms. The results of Immunofluoresc ence and Western blot correlated web with ELISA. However; ELISA showed a hi gher sensitivity, indicating the usefulness of this technique for serotypin g P. aeruginosa.