Tissue cages for study of experimental streptococcal infection in rabbits. II. Humoral and cell-mediated immune response to erythrogenic toxins.
Infection of rabbits with erythrogenic toxin producing streptococcal strains caused a marked increase of humoral antibodies, which was detected by immunoprecipitation and ELISA. An antibody response directed towards the erythrogenic toxin type A was demonstrated by fused rocket immunoelectrophoresis. All toxinogenic reference strains produced ET type A under in vivo conditions despite that this toxin was not always demonstrated under in vitro conditions. The infection resulted in an increase of mitogenic response of peripheral lymphocytes to the initial nonspecific mitogenic erythrogenic toxins, whereas the Con A stimulation was depressed starting 14 days after infection and lasting during a period of 90 days. Since a normal antibody response was evoked, it seems likely that the T helper cell function was not affected.
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005098:Exotoxins; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011817:Rabbits; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D005098:Exotoxins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C117980:SpeA protein, Streptococcus pyogenes; C027951:erythrogenic toxin