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 Olitzki, L. Articles by Bendersky, J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Olitzki, L. Articles by Bendersky, J.

The Leucopenic Action of Different Microorganisms and the Antileucopenic Immunity

From the Department of Hygiene and Bacteriology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem

Abstract

The data presented above indicate that the leucopenic factor is present only in certain groups of microörganisms. The following typical reactions were observed:

1. General leucopenia, due to a decrease of both polynuclears and lymphocytes, could be produced by Bacteriaceae, Vibrios, N. meningitidis, Cl. botulinum and certain Staphylococci.

2. Lymphopenic leucopenia due to a sharp decrease in the lymphocytes, associated with an increase in the polynuclears. This reaction could be produced by smaller quantities of the microorganisms recorded above and by a number of strains of Cor. diphtheriae.

3. Polynucleosis due to a sharp rise in the polynuclears associated with a mild decrease in the lymphocytes. This reaction could be produced by minimal quantities of the microörganisms recorded above and by Streptococci, Bacillaceae, Mycobacterium and some Neisseriae.

4. General leucocytosis due to a rise in all types of cells. This reaction was produced only in few cases by the injection of minimal quantities of bacterial substance (e.g. streptococci).

The differences in the reactions produced by the various groups of microörganisms seem to be qualitative, and due to their different chemical composition. Thus a general leucopenia was produced by less than 0.1 mg of certain Bacteriaceae, but could not be produced by Bacillaceae or Mycobacteriaceae even when 4 to 8 mg were injected.

Within the particular groups of microörganisms there seem to be certain quantitative differences. Thus the Salmonella-group, the Staphylococci, the Vibrios contain strains and species of high and low leucopenic activity. This fact deserves further investigation, possibly as a means of differentiation of various species belonging to the same group.

The treatment of animals with bacterial vaccines whether or not they contain the leucopenic factor resulted during a period of two to three days in a state of antileucopenic resistance. The same effect was obtained by the injection of normal sera. During this period of nonspecific resistance injection of bacteria which contained the leucopenic factor did not elicit a leucopenic reaction; the total count remained normal or rose and the polynuclear count did not increase.

Specific antileucopenic immunity could be produced by active immunization. In accordance with the observation that the leucopenic factor is heat resistant, immunity against the leucopenic factor was produced by bacteria which contained a common heat-resistant O-antigen like E. typhosa and S. enteritidis.

Conferment of specific antileucopenic immunity by injection of immune serum was not regularly successful. After the three-day period of nonspecific antileucopenic resistance only three animals out of eleven showed complete antileucopenic immunity.