TOXOID IMMUNIZATION IN EXPERIMENTAL GAS GANGIRENE

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Abstract
A preliminary report is presented on the use of Clostridium welchii toxoid in the immunization for exptl. gas gangrene in animals. Reference is made to reports in the literature on the successful use of toxoid immunization in the disease. However, from a surgical standpoint, several criticisms are cited on the methods used in obtaining the data. These involved injn. of toxin and virulent bacteria into healthy muscle instead of the usual clinically recognized gas gangrene associated with large areas of gross contamination and devitalized tissues. Furthermore, simple injn. of toxin or bacteria to produce gas gangrene is less severe and responds more readily to therapy than that produced in the presence of crushed muscle and foreign debris. In the present investigation, therefore, exptl. wounds were prepd. in guinea pigs by crushing the muscle of the posterior and lateral aspect of the thigh and a sterile mixture of soil and cinders placed in the wound. In this manner the injn. of Cl. welchii in the lesion increased the virulence of the organisms a millionfold. 360 guinea pigs were used in the study with Cl. welchii toxoid injd. at various intervals prior to challenge by the method given. In early expts., the degree of protection was only 12 and 13%, although blood antitoxin levels were in excess of 0.1 unit per ml. before challenge. Subsequent studies involving modified procedures of immunization with toxoid gave protection to, 50-100% of the animals. Certain unknown factor or factors appear to be present which contribute to the toxemia and mortality of exptl. gas gangrene produced by crushing the muscle and the presence of dirt in the lesion. The evidence presented, however, shows the high degree of immunity that is afforded by injn. of toxoid against Cl. welchii infections.

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