Abstract

Presence of immunoglobulin G antibody against the five standard serotypes of group B streptococcus was measured by means of indirect immunofluorescence in the sera of 405 women at the time of delivery in the obstetric hospital in Vancouver. Antibody to all five serotypes was present in 22% of women whereas only 9.6% had no detectable antibody to any serotype. Among 47 women with group B streptococcus vaginal colonization, IgG antibody was detected against the homologous colonizing serotype in 100%, 75%, 78%, 89%, and 100% of sera for serotypes Ia, Ib, Ic, II, and III, respectively. This contrasted with the women who had heterologous group B streptococcal vaginal colonization or no colonization in whom 71% had serum IgG antibody to serotype Ia, 36% to Ib, 51% to Ic, 66% to II, and 60% to III. Overall the serum antibody titers were low, and few women had titers greater than 1:20 for any of the five standard serotypes.

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