SUSCEPTIBILITY AND IMMUNITY TO COMMON UPPER RESPIRATORY VIRAL INFECTIONS—THE COMMON COLD

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Abstract
The common cold syndrome was produced in volunteers by uncharacterized filtrable agents in the nasal secretions of persons having a common cold. Afebrile coryza was predominant but different viruses produced a greater or lesser degree of noncoryzal pharyngitis and occasionally fever. Subclinical infections were shown by observing the cytopathogenic effect on the cells of the nasal mucosa. Certain persons who reported proneness to natural infections frequently developed cold-like symptoms from the instillation of a non-infectious salt solution, but they showed no greater susceptibility to infectious material than other volunteers. A small group of persons were resistant to natural and experimental infections. Prediction of susceptibility from psychological studies [was not successful. Neither total body chilling nor frigid conditions induced spontaneous infections or increased susceptibility to experimental infection. Sleep deprivation and fatigue increased infectivity insignificantly. Girls showed significant differences in susceptibility in different phases of the menstrual cycle. Pooled human gamma globulin neutralized the infectivity of the secretions. Immunity to specific common cold viruses was shown by rechallenging volunteers with the same and different secretions. It is suggested that the common cold syndrome in man is caused by specific viral infections each of which elicits an appropriate immune response.

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