This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Adler, S W Articles by Reed, W P Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Adler, S W, 2nd Articles by Reed, W P

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infect Immun. 1981 October; 34(1): 55-61

Effect of immunization on the genesis of pneumococcal endocarditis in rabbits.

ABSTRACT

The effect of immunization with whole organisms on the development of Streptococcus pneumoniae endocarditis was examined by in vivo and in vitro methods. Immunization protected rabbits from pneumococcal endocarditis when the in vivo catheterization model was used. The inoculum size that caused endocarditis in 50% of the unimmunized rabbits was 1.1 X 10(5) colony-forming units, whereas 1.2 X 10(7) colony-forming units were required for infecting 50% of the immunized rabbits (P less than 0.001). Investigations were carried out to determine the mechanism which enabled immunization to prevent the development of pneumococcal endocarditis; they indicated that a reduction in bacterial adherence could not explain this phenomenon. In vitro studies showed that subagglutinating quantities of antibody increased the adherence (P less than 0.05) of pneumococci to rabbit aortic valve cusps. The adherence ratio of pneumococci to fibrin-platelet clots was at least doubled by the presence of subagglutinating dilutions of immune sera (P less than 0.001). Further studies showed that immunoglobulin G in the immune sera accounted for this increased in vitro adherence. However, further in vivo studies showed that immunized rabbits were able to clear live pneumococci from their bloodstreams within 4.5 h, whereas unimmunized rabbits failed to clear the organism within 24 h.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• McCormick, J. K., Hirt, H., Waters, C. M., Tripp, T. J., Dunny, G. M., Schlievert, P. M. (2001). Antibodies to a Surface-Exposed, N-terminal Domain of Aggregation Substance Are Not Protective in the Rabbit Model of Enterococcus faecalis Infective Endocarditis. Infect. Immun. 69: 3305-3314 [Abstract] [Full Text]