The Heat-Labile Serum Factor Associated with Intracellular Killing of Staphylococcus Aureus

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Abstract
The presence of fresh serum has been shown to be required for rapid phagocytosis and intracellular killing of virulent staphylococci by human blood leukocytes (1, 2). When human serum is subjected to heating, it no longer promotes killing but still causes demonstrable phagocytosis, though slower in rate and reduced in amount. The phagocytosis-promoting ability of human serum is apparently dependent upon the presence of antibody against the staphylococcal surface antigen or antigens and is removed by adsorption with ribitol teichoic acid isolated from the staphylococcal cell wall (3). The present report deals with the results of our study on the heat-labile serum factor responsible for rapid phagocytosis and intracellular killing of staphylococci. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Human serum and leukocytes. Fresh samples of adult human blood were obtained from healthy subjects by venipuncture. Leukocytes were prepared by dextran sedimentation and were washed and resuspended in Hanks' solution.

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