The immunological phenomena associated with various aspects of hemolytic streptococcus disease in man have usually been studied by the measurement of antitoxins. Most extensive have been the observations made by the Dick technique (1), in which purified erythrogenic toxin was used as a skin test material. Circulating antistreptolysin and antifibrinolysin titers have also been determined, partic...

At our hospital (Jefferson Davis Hospital, Houston, Tex.) since 1979, non-group D alpha-hemolytic streptococci have been isolated with increasing frequency from neonatal blood cultures with clinical findings of sepsis. A total of 47 such isolates were identified to the species level by the scheme of Facklam and were compared with 57 genital isolates from 167 maternity patients. Among the genita...

The rapid dissolution of human fibrin clot by Streptococcus hemolyticus of the beta type is dependent upon the presence in cultures of an enzymic substance which is excreted by the organisms (1, 2). The bacterial product, which induces fibrinolysis, is characteristically elaborated by strains of hemolytic streptococci which cause acute infection in patients. Furthermore, the cultures, obtained ...

It has been reported that certain strains of ,B hemolytic streptococci produce L type colonies if they are exposed to penicillin on media containing high concentrations of non-toxic salts (Sharp, 1954). No such colonies developed without increased salt concentration. Following this observation a number of strains of several other bacterial species were studied to test the effect of variation of...

BACKGROUND The roles of group C and F streptococci in causing endemic pharyngitis are still controversial, although group C streptococci are implicated in the outbreaks of pharyngitis and associated disorders. AIM The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and the role of these groups of β-hemolytic streptococci in acute pharyngitis with emphasis on the Streptococcus anginosus grou...

There is disagreement in the literature as to whether lincomycin is primarily a bacteriostatic or a bactericidal agent against gram-positive cocci and also regarding the levels of activity of this agent against susceptible microorganisms. These questions were examined in a study of the effect of inoculum size on the results of tube dilution susceptibility determinations with lincomycin against ...

The fluorescent antibody method of Coons and Kaplan (1950) has led to numerous studies of its practical application, many directed to the problem of rapid and accurate identification of microorganisms (Goldman, 1953, 1957; Moody, Goldman, and Thomason, 1956; Thomason et al., 1956, 1957; LaBrec, Formal, and Schneider, 1959; Winter, and Moody, 1959). Moody, Ellis and Updyke (1958) showed that ser...

By means of the immunofluorescent staining technique, antisera to a wide variety of serological types of Group A and A variant streptococci were found to contain an antibody which reacted with mammalian striated muscle, both skeletal and cardiac, as well as with smooth muscle in the endocardium and in the media of arterioles. Similar heart-reactive antibodies were not present in antisera to mos...

Small areas of skin infiltrated with immune serum proved refractory to the injurious action of a filterable rabbit virus inoculated 24 to 48 hours later. Infiltrations of normal serum did not appreciably protect the skin against the virus. The local protection afforded by the infiltrations of immune serum appears to constitute an example of local passive immunity. Small areas of skin infiltrate...

1. An extracellular, proteolytic enzyme has been observed in more than 30 strains of beta type, aerobic and facultative hemolytic streptococci. 2. The enzyme is readily demonstrable in sterile filtrates of cooked meat cultures. 3. No gas or foul odor is produced. 4. It is partially inactivated by exposure to about 60 degrees C. for 45 minutes or longer. 5. The enzyme manifests itself in cooked ...