PRECIPITATION AND AGGLUTINATION TESTS WITH THE HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCUS. TITRATION OF "M" AND "T" ANTI-BODIES IN HUMAN SERA.
While "M" and "T" antibodies can be demonstrated in low titre in human sera, an almost complete absence of specificity seems to indicate an apparent lack of correlation with current or past streptococcal illness. In the present study, agglutination and precipitation tests on patient's sera, using known "T" and "M" antigens, appear to have little value in determining the antigenic relationship of the streptococci involved in infection. Moreover, no correlation could be shown between the amounts of "M" antibody and of "T" antibody present in the different sera. It is obvious that further work is needed. With a greater degree of purification of "M" and "T" and the elimination of non-specific substances, it may ultimately be possible to demonstrate the development of significant type-specific antibodies in human sera.
Thomas
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