Monovalent and Polyvalent Sera in the Treatment of Pneumococcal Infections

[摘要] 1. 1. Against the multiply reacting Hoge strain of pneumococci a monovalent type 29 serum was found to exercise almost as great protection (in mice) as a polyvalent mixed serum potent against types 29, 10, and 20 (three types with which the Hoge strain is cross-reactive).2. 2. A serum prepared against the Hoge culture as an immunogen afforded somewhat greater protection than either the polyvalent mixture or the monovalent type 29 serum. The anti-Hoge serum was also highly effective in protecting mice against type 29 culture and in less degree conferred protection against types 10 and 20 pneumococci.3. 3. A highly potent serum was prepared by immunizing a rabbit against the avirulent Weingart strain which cross-reacts with types 31, 20, and 29. Because of the extremely low virulence of the homologous strain the protective power of the anti-Weingart serum could not be demonstrated against the homologous culture, but was shown to be protective in high degree against virulent type 31 pneumococci and to a lesser extent against types 20 and 29. The same features were brought out in comparing the reciprocal protective values of antisera prepared against types 10 and 10A, the latter being of very low virulence, the former high.4. 4. The advantages to be derived from the use of broadly polyvalent sera in pneumonia therapy were outlined and the possible value of multiply reacting strains in the production of such sera was indicated.

[学科分类] 生物科学（综合）