We report here a summary of the economic and social impact of musculoskeletal conditions in the United States. The economic cost of musculoskeletal conditions approaches 1% of the gross national product (GNP) each year. The literature on this subject is rapidly expanding, in part, to reflect the growing prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions due to the aging of the population, as well as a declining mortality rate. Accordingly, at the request of the National Arthritis Data Task Force, we analyzed the literature in order to highlight the impact of musculoskeletal conditions and to determine those areas in which systematic data are lacking.In a paper recently published in Journal of Rheumutofogy ( I ) , we reviewed more than 50 studies of the effects of musculoskeletal conditions and analyzed the National Health Interview Survey, to augment the published literature. These studies were derived from national, community-based surveys of the noninstitutionalized population and from clinical ~-

properties of pleuropneumonia-like organisms from tissue cell cultures and the human genital area. J. Bacteriol. 82:542-547. 1961.-Antigens were prepared from several tissue culture and human genital strains of pleuropneumonia-like organisms (PPLO) by a method utilizing continuous agitation of the incubating cultures. Antisera were produced in rabbits by intravenous injection of suspensions of these organisms standardized turbidimetrically. The antigenic properties of the selected strains were compared by agglutination techniques supplemented by a test based upon the inhibition of growth of PPLO by specific antisera. The majority of tissue culture strains of PPLO studied, including contaminants from several HeLa cell lines, appeared to be antigenically similar to the human type 1 strains. However, one strain (Sp-1) from a HeLa cell line was found to be related to the human type 2 PPLO.

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A substance in antiserum responsible for growth inhibition of Mlycoplasma was found to be associated with the water-insoluble globulin fraction. This fraction and the agglutinins removed from agglutinated antigen inhibited the growth of .llycoplasma in a similar manner. Sonic oscillation of antiserum broth cultures partially relieved the growth inhibition. The results of this study suggest the existence of neutralized .M1ycoplasma in a latent phase, which could explain their infrequent detection in tissues and fluids. The application of such techniques as sonic oscillation may improve the recovery and identification of MIycoplasma from these sources.