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Cross-Reactions Among Group a Streptococci

III. The M and R Antigens of Type 43 and Serologically Related Streptococci

From the Alfred I. du Pont Institute, Wilmington, Delaware 19899

Abstract

Antigens in type 43 streptococci were studied, which were responsible for confusing cross-reactions among numerous strains isolated during recent years from patients with streptococcal illness, notably pyodermas, sometimes complicated by acute glomerulonephritis. Bactericidal activity, which was either reciprocal or in one direction only, accompanied precipitin cross-reactions between type 43 and the other cross-protective types 33, 41, 52, 53, 56, Ross, C506 and G₁. The experiments reported here showed that the cross-protective antibodies could be separated from the type-specific M antibodies by absorption with a strain which shared cross-protection, leaving only type-specific M antibodies. Absorption with one of these strains removed precipitin antibodies for the rest of the cross-reacting strains as well. This indicates that these reactions depend on the same antigenic determinants, and as far as tested, the cross-protective antibodies were removed also. The precipitin reactions between type 43 and strains P24037A and AD996 depended upon one of two non-protective R antigens, R₁, which these strains shared with the type 43 representative strain, C126/21. The second R antigen, R₂, has not been found in types other than 43 or independent of R₁. In other work, a non-protective antigen was also found on M⁺ and M^- variants of strain C107/24, the type 33 representative strain. This antigen accounted for positive precipitin tests with M^- variants and anti-M sera. It has not been found in cocci of other types.