Abstract
Summary
Studies of intraleukocytic bacterial killing by a technique which allows dissociation of the killing from the ingestive function of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes have revealed differing susceptibilities of several bacterial species to killing in the absence of opsonization. While heat-stable opsonins enhance leukocytic killing of various bacteria, they were shown to impede killing of a human virulent Staphylococcus aureus, an effect correlated with the presence of protein A in a test strain. These observations indicate the importance of bacterial factors to the susceptibility of bacteria to intraleukocytic killing, an effect mediated via heat-stable opsonins in the case of protein A-containing Staphylococcus aureus.
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