Susceptibility of Bacteroides gingivalis strains to the complement-mediated bactericidal activity of human serum was examined under anaerobic conditions. Serum containing high concentrations of IgG antibody to B. gingivalis enhanced the bactericidal activity. No enhancement was found in serum which did not contain the specific antibody or in serum absorbed with intact cells. The sensitivity to the killing by pooled serum differed among B. gingivalis strains. Cells of B. gingivalis activated the pooled human serum complement not only through the classic pathway but also through an alternative pathway. It was found that the susceptibility of B. gingivalis to the bactericidal activity was classic-pathway-dependent.
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