Abstract
The recognition in recent years of the frequency of human infections with several members of the psittacosis-lymphogranuloma venereum group of viruses 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 has led to an increased interest in procedures which aid in the laboratory diagnosis of these diseases. The demonstration of complement-fixing antibodies in the sera of patients convalescent from psittacosis and from lymphogranuloma 7 , 8 has been used for establishing the etiology of these maladies. Considerable confusion has developed recently, however, regarding the interpretation of complement fixation reactions obtained in these diseases because of cross reactions displayed by the patients' sera with antigens prepared from tissues infected with the viruses of classical psittacosis and lymphogranuloma venereum and other members of this group of agents. 2 , 9 , 10 , 11 Although at present it is impossible to differentiate sharply between human psittacosis and lymphogranuloma by means of serological tests, it is possible, under appropriate conditions, to establish that a given acute illness was caused by a member of this group of viruses. 3
The observations of several groups groups of workers suggest that the titers of sera from patients with psittacosis, closely related infections and with lymphogranuloma may differ somewhat tested against homologous and heterologous antigens prepared from the group of viruses. 2 , 9 , 10 Furthermore, pigeons recovered from ornithosis develop antibodies that fix complement with meningopneumonitis antigen but not with lymphogranuloma antigen. 11 The observations reported at this time extend those of others regarding the reactions of human convalescent sera with complement-fixing antigens of psittacosis and lymphogranuloma. In addition, a comparatively simple and safe method for preparing psittacosis antigen from highly infectious material is described.
Materials and Methods. Preparation of Psittacosis Antigen. Antigens containing washed inactive elementary bodies of psittacosis prepared from infected agar slant cultures according to the method of Meyer
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