DIFFERENCES IN ATTACHMENT ANTIGENS OF GONOCOCCI IN RE-INFECTION

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 93  (5) , 730-735
Abstract
On the basis of bacterial typing, pyocin typing and antibiotic sensitivity tests, 2 consorts apparently were reinfected 34 and 41 days later, respectively, with the same gonococcal strain, suggesting a failure in these patients to develop effective immunity to reinfection. These tests do not measure antigens [Ag] which mediate attachment, a function which may correlate with virulence. When these infecting strains were retested in an inhibition-of-attachment assay using rabbit gonococcal antisera, the Ag mediating attachment were different. Homologous antisera inhibited attachment of the homologous strain at a high titer. Absorbing the antisera with the initial infecting strain did remove any of the blocking activity of the antisera raised to the reinfecting strain, but the latter strain did share some attachment Ag in common with the initial infecting strain. Homologous antisera bound preferentially to pili purified from the homologous strains.