Abstract
Summary
An investigation was undertaken to determine the immunologic sequence of events during attacks of diarrhea associated with the presence of “normal” fecal flora, E. coli serotype 01 through 025, in the intestinal tract. It revealed that 12 of 30 or almost half of those infants from whom acute and convalescent phase sera were available exhibited a rise in hemagglutinin titer. At some time during their illness a greater number, two-thirds, had inhibitors present in their sera which were antigenically related to the E. coli serotype isolated from their fecal flora.
The authors wish to express gratitude to Dr. Antonio Ortiz, Chief, Dept. of Pediatrics, Municipal Hospital, San Juan, P. R., and to his staff, as well as to the staff of Children's Hospital, Washington, D. C., for providing the samples studied.
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