Selective Susceptibility of the Epithelial Layer of Skin to Certain Bacterial Toxins.

Abstract

In connection with the histological study of skin reactions in hypersensitive animals, we studied microscopically the skin lesions produced by the injection of various substances both bacterial toxins and chemical irritants. We noticed an interesting characteristic of the lesions produced by staphylococcus and diphtheria toxins. The epithelial layer of the skin was destroyed early and extensively, out of proportion to the inflammatory reaction in corium, whereas, in the reactions of hypersensitive animals (excepting strong tuberculin types of reactions) and after injection of turpentine or pneu-mococcus emulsion, although the inflammatory reaction was strong, the epithelial layer was not apparently injured. The skin shows symptoms in several infectious diseases and in the hypersensitive state skin sensitiveness is usually marked. As the cause of this special susceptibility of the skin is not known, it seemed of interest to study a susceptibility which depends probably not on the reactions of mesenchymal but on the reaction of epithelial tissue. The early destruction of the epithelial layer has been known for a long time in lesions caused by the diphtheria bacillus and more recently Parker 1 observed necrosis of the epithelium in the case of staphylococcus toxin.

We examined the histological structure of skin reactions produced by staphylococcus and diphtheria toxins in 7 guinea pigs and 8 rabbits. In every animal several reactions were studied in different stages of development. The staphylococcus toxin, obtained according to the method of Burnet, 2 was quite potent as 0.001 cc. caused necrotic skin reactions in rabbits. After injecting 0.05 cc. of this toxin into the skin of a guinea pig, in a few hours a quite extensive slight swelling developed with moderate hyperaemia. The next day the swelling and hyperaemia decreased.