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The Action of Leucocytes and Brain Tissue on Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxins

From the Division of Laboratories and Research, New York State Department of Health, Albany

Abstract

In any study of the action of the bacterial poisons on the leucocytes it is important to determine the chemical or physical reactions, if any, that take place between the leucocyte and the known bacterial toxins such as the diphtheria and tetanus toxins. Since the chemical or physical changes in these toxins are indicated and can only be measured by determining changes in the toxic effects they induce in susceptible animals, some experiments were done to detect any loss of toxicity in mixtures of diphtheria toxin and leucocytes such as Wassermann and Takaki (1) demonstrated with mixtures of tetanus toxin and brain tissue.

The results of these early studies, carried on in 1917, now have an additional significance since later experiments (2) have demonstrated the presence of substances in bacterial cultures which are adsorbed on the leucocyte and inhibit phagocytosis.