TY - JOUR
T1 - Report from a WHO Working Group
T2 - standard method for detecting upper respiratory carriage ofStreptococcus pneumoniae
AU - O'brien, Katherine L.
AU - Nohynek, Hanna
AU - Adegbola, Richard A.
AU - Cherian, Thomas
AU - Mulholland, Kim
AU - Dagan, Ron
AU - Yagupsky, Pablo
AU - Gratten, Michael
PY - 2003/2
Y1 - 2003/2
N2 - Background. Numerousstudies evaluating the efficacy of conjugate pneumococcal vaccines are being conducted or planned throughout the world. Some of these studies are evaluating the effect of vaccine on nasopharyngeal (NP) carriage. Methods. The World Health Organization established a Working Group comprised of representatives from these trials and other NP colonization experts to establish core, standardized methods for the study of pneumococcal NP colonization that could be used in these trials. The intent was to reduce or eliminate variability in key methods which themselves could contribute to variability of observed pneumococcal NP colonization. In this way variability of vaccine effects between trials on NP colonization could more easily be analyzed for population or vaccine differences without the confounding effect caused by differences in study methodology. Results. This paper presents the evidence base supporting the need for standardized NP colonization study methods, the methods themselves (Core Consensus Methods), including collection techniques, culture media, equipment, serotyping, storage of specimens and transport of isolates agreed on by the Working Group as well as a discussion of research priorities. Conclusions. The Core Consensus Methods provide a common methodology to conduct pneumococcal NP colonization studies with minimum interstudy method variability. The intention is to allow more meaningful comparisons of study results from conjugate pneumococcal vaccine trials.
AB - Background. Numerousstudies evaluating the efficacy of conjugate pneumococcal vaccines are being conducted or planned throughout the world. Some of these studies are evaluating the effect of vaccine on nasopharyngeal (NP) carriage. Methods. The World Health Organization established a Working Group comprised of representatives from these trials and other NP colonization experts to establish core, standardized methods for the study of pneumococcal NP colonization that could be used in these trials. The intent was to reduce or eliminate variability in key methods which themselves could contribute to variability of observed pneumococcal NP colonization. In this way variability of vaccine effects between trials on NP colonization could more easily be analyzed for population or vaccine differences without the confounding effect caused by differences in study methodology. Results. This paper presents the evidence base supporting the need for standardized NP colonization study methods, the methods themselves (Core Consensus Methods), including collection techniques, culture media, equipment, serotyping, storage of specimens and transport of isolates agreed on by the Working Group as well as a discussion of research priorities. Conclusions. The Core Consensus Methods provide a common methodology to conduct pneumococcal NP colonization studies with minimum interstudy method variability. The intention is to allow more meaningful comparisons of study results from conjugate pneumococcal vaccine trials.
KW - Conjugate pneumococcal vaccine
KW - Laboratory methods
KW - Nasopharyngeal carriage
KW - Streptococcus pneumoniae
KW - WHO Pneumococcal Vaccine Working Group
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0037314257&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/01.inf.0000049347.42983.77
DO - 10.1097/01.inf.0000049347.42983.77
M3 - Article
C2 - 12586987
AN - SCOPUS:0037314257
SN - 0891-3668
VL - 22
SP - e1-e11
JO - Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
JF - Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
IS - 2
ER -