Toxin production of the streptococcus erysipelatis.

Abstract

The toxins employed in these studies were prepared in Douglas' tryptic medium inoculated with cultures of Streptococcus erysipelatis, which were isolated from the erysipelatous lesions of patients ill with erysipelas. Among thirty-four strains grown at 37° C. for periods varying from six to ninety-six hours, the maximum toxin production was obtained in lots incubated for about 48 hours. Each of the 34 strains studied were found to yield uniformly toxic filtrates. A skin test dose of 0.1 cc. of a 1:1000 dilution of erysipelas toxic filtrate produced in the skin of susceptible persons a lesion, similar in nature to that obtained in the Schick and Dick tests, which measured more than 1.5 cm. in diameter. Complete neutralization of one skin test dose of the erysipelas toxin was obtained by mixing it with an equal amount of convalescent erysipelas serum, or with 0.001 cc. of erysipelas streptococcic rabbit or donkey sera. Neutralization of the erysipelas streptococcic toxin was not accomplished by Dochez' scarlatinal antistreptococcic serum, nor by normal rabbit or donkey sera. During the acute stages of erysipelas the patient's blood serum and urine contained a toxic substance which was completely neutralized by convalescent erysipelas serum and which disappeared from the patient's blood serum and urine as soon as twelve hours after the administration intramuscularly of 25 to 100 cc. of erysipelas antistreptococcic rabbit or donkey sera. If the disease persisted unchecked by the serum therapy, the skin reaction remained positive until defervescence and definite regression of the erysipelatous lesion occurred.

Positive skin reactions were obtained by one skin test dose of erysipelas streptococcic toxin in 27 per cent of apparently normal adults and in 21 per cent of normal school children.