The Rôle of Clasmatocytes and Connective Tissue Cells in Non-Specific Local Cutaneous Immunity to Staphylococcus

Abstract

I n 1923, Besredka (1-4) stated t h a t he could produce a specific generalized i m m u n i t y in rabbits and guinea pigs to the subcutaneous or intracutaneous injection of staphylococcus and streptococcus b y the injection of specific broth filtrates, or, b y the local application to the skin of specific broth dressings.The immunization was best produced in two ways: (1) by the intracutaneous injections over a small area of either (a) a sterile specific broth filtrate (the organism was grown 10-14 days in broth, filtered and the filtrate reinocnlated with the same organism and grown again for 14 days and again filtered) or (b) of a vaccine made by heating a 24 hour broth culture of the specific organism at 60 ° for 30 minutes; (2) by the application for 24 hours over a limited skin area of compresses moistened by either the sterile specific broth filtrate or the heated killed broth vaccine.The reaction to a subcutaneous injection of 1-2 cc. of a 24 hour broth culture in the control animal was a large sloughing ulcer, whereas in the protected animal, there was only a small localized abscess. Others (5) repeated these experiments with similar results. Gratia (6), however, obtained the same results with broth. By intracutaneous injection, Mallory and Marble (7) produced a local cutaneous immunity to staphylococcus in rabbits with stelile broth as well as with the broth filtrate. Miller (8) protected guinea pigs against staphylococcus with specific broth filtrates, vaccines, horse serum, broth and concentrated meat broth, all of these substances being injected intracutaneously or applied as compresses. The immunity was well localized, spreading but slightly beyond the area treated and in no sense considered specific. Since Besredka's work, clinicians have treated infections of various kinds with specific broth filtrates or vaccines in broth. Citron and Picard (9, 10) review the work done by others and claim to have had good 663 on

Studies on the Pathogenesis of Staphylococcal Infection

“…However, it seems likely that phagocytosis plays a most important role in host resistance to this organism (15); and the increase in numbers of phagocytes, particularly macrophages, in areas of established inflammation suggest that these may be of importance in determining the decreased infectivity of staphylococci in areas of inflammation of 3 days' duration or more. The role of macrophages in inflammation in increasing resistance to infection has been studied and shown previously (4,12). Polymorphonuclear leukocytes also may phagocytose and destroy staphylococci (16), and these cells are predominant in inflammation in its early stages (15).…”

“…This suggests that inflammation may play a role in altering the susceptibility of skin and other tissues to infection by the staphylococcus. That non-specific inflammation may significantly influence the evolution of an infection has been demonstrated many times (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13), although the age of the inflammation and the nature of the bacterium probably play important roles in determining whether or not the inflammation increases or decreases the microorganisms' infectivity. Established inflammation, for example, has been shown to increase local resistance to the streptococcus, Bacillus pyocyaneus, and anthrax bacillus (6,9,12,13).…”

Do Broth Culture Filtrates Contain a Bacterial Growth-Inhibiting Substance?

“…Besredka believes that broth culture filtrates possess local immunizing properties specific for the organism grown in the bouillon. Experimental results published by Gay and Morrison (1923), Freedlander and Toomey (1928), and others, indicate that the power of such filtrates to stimulate the production of local immunity is not specific. The effect is rather one of local response to irritants of a non-specific nature.…”

Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1-Regulated Lysyl Oxidase Is Involved in Staphylococcus aureus Abscess Formation

“…After entering the bloodstream (e.g., after a wound infection), S. aureus disseminates to organ tissues, where it elicits massive infiltration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and other immune cells (17). During abscess maturation, a central accumulation of the pathogen is surrounded by a pseudocapsule of fibrin deposits, zones of necrotic and healthy polymorphonuclear neutrophils, and a rim of eosinophilic material consisting of collagens and fibroblasts (17)(18)(19)(20). Finally, an abscess rupture can lead to novel dissemination of S. aureus via the bloodstream.…”