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The Antihyaluronidase Content of Human Blood Serum¹

A Study in Age Differences

From the Section of Preventive Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut

Abstract

1. The antihyaluronidase content of sera from 335 normal subjects and individuals with non-infectious and non-streptococcal infectious diseases has been determined by means of the mucin-clot prevention test, using hyaluronidase produced by a strain of group A, type 4 hemolytic streptococcus as a source of enzyme.

2. The antihyaluronidase titre at birth corresponded with that of the mother. The mean titre soon began to decrease and in the age group, 6 months, reached a level too low to be measured by the M.C.P. test.

3. In the 5 year age group the mean antihyaluronidase titre began to increase and in the 20 year age group attained a level which was maintained throughout adult life until the age 60 when a slight, yet significant, decrease in titre was noted. The mean antihyaluronidase titre did not decrease further.

4. Comparison of the antihyaluronidase titres of sera from so-called normal individuals and subjects with non-streptococcal infectious diseases revealed similar titres at comparable ages.

Addenum: Since this study was completed, Pike (26) has described a test by means of which 55% of the 110 strains of non-capsulated group A streptococci were shown to be hyaluronidase producers. The use of this test may make it possible to demonstrate hyaluronidase in strains which were formerly thought to be non-hyaluronidase producers. It may be that a rise in antihyaluronidase titer against streptococcal hyaluronidase is always preceded by an infection with a hyaluronidase-producing strain of group A hemolytic streptococcus. If this proves to be the case, it will be further evidence in favor of the specificity of streptococcal hyaluronidase.

Footnotes

¹ Aided by a grant from the Life Insurance Medical Research Fund.