HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Nickerson, D. S. Articles by Quie, P. G. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Nickerson, D. S. Articles by Quie, P. G.

Studies of Immune and Normal Opsonins during Experimental Staphylococcal Infection in Rabbits¹

From the Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, University of Minnesota Hospitals, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455

Abstract

Antibacterial antibody response was studied in rabbits that were experimentally infected with staphylococci so as to simulate human endocarditis and osteomyelitis. Sera from rabbits inoculated intravenously twice weekly for 4 weeks contained high titers of opsonic, agglutinating, and complement-fixing antibodies. In a second group of rabbits, single intramedullary inoculations of staphylococci successfully produced osteomyelitis. These animals also developed high titers of opsonic and agglutinating antibodies. The titers of complement-fixing antibodies were generally lower in rabbits with experimental osteomyelitis than they were in animals with recurrent bacteremia. Opsonic antibodies were specifically and completely absorbed by the infecting strain of Staphylococcus aureus. No evidence was obtained for "leukophilic" globulin with phagocytosis-promoting activity. Sucrose gradient fractionation of immune rabbit sera indicated that the primary heat-stable opsonin was 7 S G.

Footnotes

This investigation was supported by grants from the Minnesota Health Association, United States Public Health Service (AI08821, AI06931 and 5 T01 AM 05461), and was conducted, in part, under the sponsorship of the Commission on Streptococcal and Staphylococcal Diseases, Armed Forces Epidemiological Board, and the research sponsored by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command under Contract DADA-17-68-C-8037.

² Correspondence: Dr. P. G. Quie, University of Minnesota, Department of Pediatrics, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455.