STUDIES ON THE BACTERICIDAL PROPERTIES OF THE SYNOVIAL FLUID 1

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Abstract
The bactericidal properties of 40 sterile synovial effusions from patients with rheumatoid arthritis or other joint diseases were studied. Four of 37 synovial fluids killed hemolytic streptococci, and 34 of 39 synovial fluids were bactericidal for Escherichia coli. The killing power of the synovial fluid usually was stronger than that of the oxalated Blood plasma. Bactericidal properties for hemolytic streptococci were detected in only 2 of 9 synovial fluids in rheumatoid arthritis (22.2%), and 2 of 28 synovial fluids in other joint diseases (7.1%). The bactericidal activity for E. coli, but not for hemolytic streptococci, was related to the complement content of the synovial fluid; it was not completely destroyed by heating at 56[degree]C for 30-60 min., and remained almost unaltered for 6 months in frozen synovial fluid. There was no relation between viscosity, specific gravity, pH at the beginning of the expt., or cytology of human synovial effusions and their bactericidal activities for hemolytic streptococci or E. coli.

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