Version 2.78

Description

Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important human pathogen whose virulence is based primarily on its polysaccharide capsule, which protects it by shielding it from the immune system. Over time, study of the polysaccharide capsule has identified multiple serogroups and serotypes. Serotypes are defined based on the chemical structure and immunologic properties of the polysaccharide, and each serogroup contains one or more serotypes that elicit the same antibody response. Over time, two parallel serogroup and serotype naming systems arose, one in the U.S. and one in Denmark, but more recently, the Danish naming system is the one that has been widely adopted, including in the U.S. Beginning with the June 2017 release, LOINC adopted the Danish numbering system in the Component for all pneumococcal terms.
Out of more than 90 serotypes identified to date, only a third have been implicated in invasive disease, and there is also an association between specific serotypes, patient age, and mortality rate. For example, serotypes 1 and 5 are associated with invasive disease, and historically, serogroups 6, 14, 18, and 19 were more common among young children while serotype 3 was more common in the elderly. Vaccines have changed the prevalence of different serotypes and serogroups. Pneumococcal vaccines target the serotypes that are commonly implicated in human disease, and over time, the number of targeted serotypes have increased from 7 to 23. While widespread vaccination has significantly decreased the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease caused by the serotypes covered by those vaccines, it has also caused a change in serotype prevalence in that strains that were rare are becoming more common. Therefore, determining the specific serotype responsible for new cases is important for epidemiologic tracking and future vaccine development.
PMID: 26085553 Source: Regenstrief LOINC

Basic Part Properties

Part Display Name
Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype
Part Type
Fragments For Synonyms
Created On
2017-05-26
Construct for LOINC Short Name
S pneum serotype

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