MOUSE-PROTECTIVE ANTIBODIES IN HUMAN SERA AGAINST THE SMITH STRAIN OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

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Abstract
We confirmed the widespread occurrence in human sera of antibodies able to protect mice from the lethal effect of the Smith strain of Staphylococcus aureus injected intraperitoneally together with hog gastric mucin. We were unable to demonstrate that the antibody was active against other naturally occurring strains of S. aureus nor did such strains absorb the protective antibody from serum.Repeated passage of two of the above strains of S. aureus in the peritoneal cavities of mice produced more virulent daughter strains. Human sera containing protective antibodies against the Smith strain also protected mice against these daughter strains, but the daughter strains also were unable to absorb the protective antibody from human sera. This suggests the existence in human sera of more than one kind of antibody protective against staphylococci.