HOST-PARASITE FACTORS IN GROUP A STREPTOCOCCAL INFECTIONS

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Abstract
Upon intravenous injection into rabbits both streptococcal intracellular and extracellular products cause a biphasic febrile response. Relationships between streptococcal pyrogenic intracellular and extracellular toxins and between streptococcal pyrogenic toxins and the endotoxin of gram-negative bacteria were studied by (a) the ability of one toxin upon repeated intravenous injection into rabbits to establish pyrogenic tolerance to a heterologous toxin; (b) effectiveness for streptococcal pyrogens of extraction procedures used in isolation of gram-negative bacterial endo-toxins; (c) additional comparative studies based on several other toxic manifestations. Using these criteria, the data suggest that Group A streptococci produce 2 pyrogenic toxins, one primarily intracellular; the other mainly extracellular. The streptococcal pyrogens appear to be chemically different from gram-negative bacterial endotoxin. However, similar non-specific host factors may be active in the establishment of tolerance to both gram-negative bacterial endotoxin and the streptococcal intracellular toxin. Detoxification of streptococcal exotoxin requires a more immunologically specific mechanism.