GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF T STRAIN PLEUROPNEUMONIALIKE ORGANISMS IN HUMAN EPIDERMOID CARCINOMA CELLS (HELA)

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Abstract
A T strain pleuropneumonialike organism isolated from the urethra of a non-gonococcal urethritis patient, propagated in 7-day chick embryo, and later adapted to serial propagation in artificial medium, was successfully grown in experimentally infected epithelial type cells (HeLa). Cell infection produced a progressive, degenerative cytopathogenic reaction. Rapid intracytoplasmic multiplication of the organism occurred, and was demonstrated by the technique described. This T strain PPLO as visualized in experimentally infected HeLa cells, exhibited intracytoplasmic structures that were indistinguishable in morphology, size, and staining reaction from the monomorphic inclusion bodies observed in parasitized epithelial cells from the urethral mucosa of non-gonococcal urethritis patients. This evidence supports the premise that the intracytoplasmic inclusions observed in parasitized epithelial cells from the urethral mucosa of nongonococcal urethritis patients are the tissue-phase of T strain pleuropneumonialike organisms. The etiologic implications of these findings are discussed.