On the Rôle of Carbohydrate Haptens in Bacterial Anaphylaxis

Abstract

Though the existence of bacterial anaphylaxis was demonstrated by Rosenau and Anderson (1) as early as 1907, subsequent investigators could not diminish the difficulties in producing a clear-cut anaphylactic shock with the majority of microorganisms. The main difficulty in the study of bacterial anaphylaxis is the primary toxicity of the bacterial protein. According to Doerr (2) the amount of bacterial antigen which produces shock in sensitized animals is negligibly smaller than the lethal dose for normal animals. More recently Zinsser and Parker (3) found that in guinea pigs sensitized passively with typhoid {mmune serum at least a minimal fatal dose of the typhoid extract is required to elicit in sensitized animals acute shock with death.In the study of bacterial anaphylaxis many investigators have used suspensions of organisms, not extract, so the in vivo tests are complicated by the fact that these suspensions may produce symptoms even in untreated animals. This complication can be obviated by using the Schultz-Dale method. Sherwood and Stoland (4) working with typhoid bacilli found that in some cases the sensitized uterus contracted after the addition of 0.25 cc. of bacterial extract, whereas the minimum toxic dose was 1 cc. Since the uteri of the sensitized animals failed to react in many cases, they conclude, on the basis of comparative examinations, that more positive results can be obtained with the in dvo method and that the Dale test is not a necessary criterion of sensitization. Zinsser and Mallory (5) do not share this unfavorable opinion. They find that uterine reactions, like those obtained after sensitization with proteins, can be demonstrated in guinea pigs after both active and passive sensitization against alkaline extracts of pneumococci, but "The margin between the minimum doses which contract the normal and those which contract the sensitized uteri is incomparably smaller than that obtained in analogous experiments with . . . . egg albumen." With regard to the difficulty of demonstrating bacterial anaphylaxis Zinsser and Mallory state: "it would seem to us that active sensitization is so difficult because the bacteria contain relatively little coagulable protein, and that in passive sensitization there is an apparently slower union of antibodies with the animal tissues than in the case of protein antibodies." If this assumption is right we have little hope of improving our methods for the study of bacterial anaphylaxis, the difficulties being inherent in the nature of this phenomenon. It is conceivable however, that the primary toxic substance 379 on

Anaphylactic Shock With the Partial Antigen of the Tubercle Bacillus

“…In addition, he found that the isolated uterus of a sensitized guinea pig reacted to exceedingly small quantities of the material. These observations were extended by Tomcsik and Kurotchkin (2) to include the carbohydrates obtained from the pneumobacillus and from yeast. In 1929 Avery and Tillett (3) confirmed the work of these authors by producing with the specific carbohydrate of the pnenmococcus anaphylactic shock in guinea pigs treated with antipneumococcus rabbit sera corresponding to Types I, II and III.…”

Anaphylactic Shock by Azodyes

“…The fact that anaphylactic shock can be brought about with substances other than proteins has been established by Tomcsik (6,7), and Avery and Tillett (8) who succeeded in shocking sensitized animals by the injection of bacterial carbohydrates. The same conclusion is reached from the present experiments which demonstrate that anaphylactic shock can also be produced with synthetic substances of simple constitution.…”

Studies on the Sensitizing Properties of the Bacteriophage

“…Series/.--One group of six guinea pigs was sensitized against phage-lysed colon bacilli, grown in Uschinsky's medium (Phage 1,1K-13), another group of six animals against the intact, phage-free colon bacilli (K-13), naturally the identical bacterial strain. Six guinea pigs received sensitizing injections of phage-lysed Flexner bacilli, grown in Martin's broth (Phage 1,1-13), and an equal number was sensitized in the same manner against the intact, phage-free Flexner culture (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13). Four guinea pigs were sensitized with the Flexner lysate, subjected to thorough trypsinization ~ (Phage 1, 1-13 trypsinized), while four more animals were injected with uninoculated Martin's broth and Uschinsky's medium, respectively, for purpose of control.…”